Expert: Macau-based lawyer Sofia Linhares.

 jul26

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is building its casino market around regulation, tourism integration and controlled access rather than broad gaming expansion, according to Macau-based lawyer Sofia Linhares.

Sofia Linhares
Sofia Linhares

Speaking to AGB, Linhares said the UAE was taking a different approach from traditional gaming jurisdictions by establishing its regulatory framework before the industry reaches maturity. The country, which historically maintained a strict prohibition on gambling, is now developing a regulated commercial gaming sector under the oversight of the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA).

The launch of Wynn Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah, expected to become the UAE’s first casino resort, will provide an early test of whether gaming can be integrated into the country’s wider tourism and economic diversification strategy.

https://agbrief.com/intel/deep-dive/20/07/2026/uae-aims-to-build-regulated-gaming-market-centred-on-tourism-lawyer/?utm_source=Asia+Gaming+Brief&utm_campaign=2c52dcc06a-AGB%3A+%2302430+Tuesday%2C+21st+July%2C+2026&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_51950b5d21-2c52dcc06a-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D&ct=t%28AGB%3A+%2302430+Tuesday%2C+21st+July%2C+2026%29&goal=0_51950b5d21-2c52dcc06a-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D&mc_cid=2c52dcc06a&mc_eid=31e20475e6

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