While casinos have been permitted to operate in Morocco and Egypt for many years attracting tourists and boosting tourist revenue, only recently have we seen interesting developments in the United Arab Emirates. Lottery style offers, product promotions and competitions are now commonly found in several Emirates and even pool betting is permitted at two racecourses in Dubai.
In this article for the January 2023 edition of the IMGL magazine, Director of Betting and Gaming in our London office, Andrew Cotton, and joint Managing Partner of our Dubai office, Alastair Holland, summarise the position across the countries in the region and share their thoughts on what might lie ahead.
Ras Al Khaimah, an Emirate that is about an hour’s drive from Dubai, seeks to triple the number of tourists it attracts to three million by the end of the decade and along with Dubai has created man made islands “off shore” to help it achieve that ambition. In January 2022 Wynn announced plans to develop an integrated resort in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah.
