Description
MGM Casino Dubai and Abu Dhabi: What We Know About MGM Resorts' UAE Plans
MGM Resorts has become one of the most interesting international names to watch as the United Arab Emirates develops its regulated commercial gaming industry. But the company's plans for Dubai and Abu Dhabi need to be considered separately.
In Abu Dhabi, MGM Resorts has previously confirmed that it submitted an application for a gaming licence. Dubai presents a different story: MGM is already involved in the development of a major luxury resort featuring the Bellagio, Aria and MGM Grand brands, but the project remains officially described as non-gaming.
This distinction is important. There is currently no licensed MGM casino in either Dubai or Abu Dhabi, and the UAE's existing licensed land-based gaming development is Wynn Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah.
MGM Resorts and the Emerging UAE Gaming Market
The UAE has moved beyond the period when commercial gaming was simply a matter of speculation. The General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) now provides a federal regulatory framework covering different forms of commercial gaming, including land-based gaming facilities, internet gaming, sports wagering and lottery activities.
For international resort operators such as MGM Resorts, this creates an entirely new environment in the Gulf. The UAE already has one licensed land-based gaming facility under development, while other international hospitality groups are watching the market closely.
However, the creation of a regulatory framework does not mean that casinos have automatically been approved throughout the Emirates. Each commercial gaming operation requires the appropriate GCGRA licence.
MGM's Gaming Licence Application in Abu Dhabi
MGM Resorts CEO Bill Hornbuckle confirmed in 2024 that the company had submitted an application for a gaming licence in Abu Dhabi. The application attracted considerable attention because MGM is one of the world's best-known casino and integrated-resort operators.
That application should not be confused with approval. As things currently stand, MGM does not appear on the GCGRA's published list of licensed land-based gaming facility operators.
There is therefore an important difference between MGM's interest in entering the Abu Dhabi gaming market and an actual licensed MGM casino. Until regulatory approval is announced, any future MGM gaming development in Abu Dhabi remains a possibility rather than an operating or approved casino.
MGM Resorts Dubai: A Major Resort Without a Casino – For Now
MGM's position in Dubai is particularly interesting because the company already has a major hospitality project in development.
MGM Resorts has a management agreement with Wasl Hospitality to bring three of its best-known brands – MGM Grand, Bellagio and Aria – to Dubai. The project is being developed as a luxury hospitality and entertainment destination.
Importantly, MGM itself continues to describe its agreement for the Dubai development as non-gaming. A luxury resort carrying famous casino-resort brands should therefore not automatically be described as an MGM casino in Dubai.
Nevertheless, MGM has made no secret of its interest in the potential development of commercial gaming in Dubai. The company has indicated that the resort has been designed with enough flexibility to accommodate gaming in the future if the necessary approval is ever granted.
Could MGM Eventually Open a Casino in Dubai?
This is where the story becomes particularly relevant to anyone following the future of Casinos in Dubai.
MGM already has the hotel project, the internationally recognised brands and extensive experience operating integrated resorts. What it does not currently have is a Dubai land-based gaming licence.
Any future casino would therefore depend on regulatory approval. The GCGRA is the federal authority responsible for commercial gaming licences in the UAE, and the existence of a hospitality development does not itself provide permission to operate casino gaming.
For now, the most accurate description is that MGM is developing a major non-gaming resort in Dubai while remaining interested in the possibility of gaming if it becomes available there in the future.
Wynn Al Marjan Shows How the Licensing Process Is Different
The contrast with Wynn Resorts is useful.
Wynn Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah has received a commercial gaming facility licence from the GCGRA. It is therefore not simply a proposed casino or a luxury hotel that might eventually include gaming.
Wynn is currently the clearest example of how regulated land-based commercial gaming is developing in the UAE.
MGM's position is different. The company has a confirmed luxury resort development in Dubai and has separately expressed its interest in commercial gaming, including through its previously announced Abu Dhabi licence application.
Why Dubai Is Important to MGM Resorts
Dubai is already one of the world's leading luxury tourism destinations, with an extensive hotel sector, international air connections, restaurants, shopping, beaches, nightlife and major entertainment attractions.
For an operator such as MGM, the city therefore makes sense even without casino gaming. The company's brands can operate as luxury hospitality and entertainment destinations independently of a casino.
If gaming were eventually authorised, however, MGM's existing presence could put the company in an interesting position. That possibility is one reason why the Dubai development attracts so much attention from the international casino industry.
What Could an MGM Casino Bring to the UAE?
MGM Resorts has decades of experience operating large integrated resorts in international gaming destinations. Its properties typically combine hotels, restaurants, entertainment, retail, convention facilities and casino gaming rather than relying on gambling alone.
This integrated-resort concept has similarities to the model now being developed at Wynn Al Marjan Island.
For the UAE, such projects could potentially contribute to tourism, hospitality, employment and international investment. The actual economic impact, however, would depend on the scale and regulatory conditions of any future development rather than simply on the presence of a casino.
Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah Are Three Different Stories
It is important not to treat all casino developments in the UAE as one project.
Ras Al Khaimah currently has the country's licensed land-based gaming development through Wynn Al Marjan Island.
Abu Dhabi is where MGM Resorts previously confirmed that it had submitted a gaming licence application.
Dubai is where MGM is developing its major non-gaming resort featuring MGM Grand, Bellagio and Aria, while continuing to show interest in the possibility of future gaming.
Readers following the wider market can find further developments in our Casinos in UAE section.
MGM and the Future of Arab Casinos
The arrival of major international gaming and hospitality brands is changing the way the UAE appears on the global casino map. Until recently, discussions about Arab Casinos were often centred on existing casino destinations in countries such as Morocco, Egypt and Lebanon or on international online casinos serving Arabic-speaking players.
The development of a regulated commercial gaming industry in the UAE adds a new dimension. Wynn already has a land-based gaming licence in Ras Al Khaimah, while MGM's activities demonstrate the continuing interest of other major international resort operators.
What We Know About MGM Casino Dubai Today
There is currently no licensed MGM Casino in Dubai. MGM Resorts is developing a major non-gaming hospitality project in the city, while the company has expressed interest in adding gaming should the appropriate opportunity and regulatory approval become available.
Similarly, MGM's previously announced Abu Dhabi gaming licence application should not be presented as an approved casino project unless and until the GCGRA announces the corresponding licence.
For now, Wynn Al Marjan Island remains the UAE development with a confirmed land-based commercial gaming facility licence.
The Dubai Casino Directory and Arab Casino Directory will continue to follow MGM's Dubai development, its gaming ambitions in the UAE and any future licensing announcements.
