UAE Preparing to Launch First Legal Online Casino

Momentum, the parent company of UAE’s national lottery operator The Game LLC, has posted several new job openings on LinkedIn tied to online casino gaming and sports betting. According to Skift, the listings strongly suggest that the UAE is nearing the launch of its first fully licensed online gambling platform.

Currently, Momentum is hiring for key positions at its Abu Dhabi office, including a Commercial Director, Data Analyst, and Casino Games Manager.

In its job listing for Commercial Director, the company describes itself as “an ambitious, early-stage online casino and sports book brand preparing to launch,” offering the clearest signal yet of the market’s upcoming shift.

Further evidence of the UAE’s broader move toward regulated online gambling came late last month, when local authorities began cracking down on offshore betting platforms. Industry experts have interpreted the action as groundwork for introducing licensed, homegrown operators.

Skift reached out to both the UAE General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) and Momentum for comment, but neither responded to media requests.

The Game LLC made headlines in July 2024 when it became the first entity to receive an official gambling license in the UAE. Since then, major industry players have followed, including Wynn Resorts (currently developing the Wynn Al Marjan Island casino resort) and several global suppliers like Aristocrat, Novomatic, Scientific Games, and Fennica Gaming.