While the Emirates is known for being an advanced country, especially when it comes to infrastructure, some things were forbidden there for a long time. However, things are changing very fast with their intentions to keep up with the western countries and attract more tourists.
Religion was the main reason why there were no land-based casinos. People living in Dubai and other cities in the UAE can only play online. If you want to check some of the best options available, visit uae online casino.
On the other hand, the country created a federal instance for this industry with a plan to start a national lottery. That is the first step to allowing other parts of the gambling industry as well. In this article, we will analyze more about the benefits that Emirates will get from this.
When it will Become Available In the UAE?
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The most recent news is that the authorities are planning to create a lottery that will be the same as the ones that we can find in Western countries. The sign that they will create an advanced casino industry is the fact that they hired people with a lot of experience, such as Kevin Mullally and Jim Murren. Both of them were in high positions in popular casinos in the US.
There were some plans for opening land-based casinos in the past, but the strict Islamic laws were the main reason why it has stopped. For example, there is a hotel with lost machines and tables that was opened in 2018, but the gambling section has been closed since then.
According to the news, the gambling authority will work on creating a fair and safe environment for players. At the same time, one of the biggest cities in the Emirates, Ras al Khaimah, has announced its plan to build a resort that is worth nearly $4 billion. The main goal is to open the resort in 2027.
Another reason for us to think that the new regulations are close is the fact that the country has signed a deal with Wynn, which is one of the biggest casino companies in the world. While the deal was to build a hotel, we assume that the main focus will be on gambling.
The interesting fact is that many companies from around the world are looking closely and waiting for the new laws to become active so they can become a part of the new gambling center of the world. A lot of people think that Dubai will quickly reach the same status as Macao and Las Vegas.
Even though there is still no clear news for the authorities, we think that this is a done deal considering the people they hired to assist them, especially when it comes to Murren. This person has been the head of MGM for over 10 years.
Still, there are some challenges, especially when it comes to religion. In that matter, we assume that gambling, if it becomes available there, will have some differences. On the other side, if the main goal is to attract tourists, it probably won’t affect foreigners so much. We also expect that there won’t be alcohol available, or it will be much more expensive. Also, there is a probability of seeing a law similar to the one in Monaco, where citizens are not allowed to play.
What are the Main Benefits?
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First of all, we have to mention that there are many signs that the Emirates and other countries from the Arabic region are planning to open up to the world more, especially by changing some laws, or at least not applying them to foreigners. That could be the reason why they are working on new regulations related to gambling.
Also, there is the financial side. According to many experts, it is estimated that it will provide the country with at least $6 billion per year. However, it could reach even more. Dubai is a perfect place for becoming a new gambling center.
For example, it already has a lot of luxurious resorts, and most of them would become interested in the expansion of this industry. On the other side, it will also attract well-known companies from the world, especially those that operate in Las Vegas. Some of them already have their hotels here, and patiently wait for this to happen.
Some other statistics are also proving that this could be the perfect step for the Emirates to secure a higher revenue. For instance, they have around 14 million visitors per year, while Las Vegas has 32 million, and Macao has under 4 million. With the expansion of the infrastructure and new resorts, Dubai could easily double the amount of tourists, and a lot of them will be interested in gambling.
We also have to mention the location as an important factor. Besides the two biggest gambling places, there is only one in Europe that can be considered a follower, which is Monaco. However, Dubai could easily surpass it and attract much more people. Therefore, it could become a gambling center for people from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
As we can see, the plan is to start with a lottery. We expect it to be highly attractive from the start considering how wealthy this country is. Therefore, it could quickly reach the status of Powerball in the US, or even surpass it with amazing prizes.
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The Bottom Line
Allowing this industry to operate is the right move for the Emirates to lock its position as a leader of the region when it comes to tourism. The plan goes side by side with the overall plan of Arab countries to open up to the world. For example, even Saudi Arabia is planning to change some regulations towards foreigners to embrace their tourism.
Considering the infrastructure and current popularity of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and other cities in the country, adding casinos as a new attraction will make this place even more popular. It will need only a few years to become a main rival to Las Vegas.
