Can Tourists Gamble in Dubai and the UAE? What Visitors Can Play in 2026

Last updated: 18 July 2026

Not yet in the way most people expect. No casino is open in the Emirates today, and the country's newly licensed betting sites are closed to anyone without an Emirates ID. But two long-running airport raffles welcome visitors, and the first casino resort opens in spring 2027. Here is exactly what you can play during a visit, and what has to wait.

Key takeaways

• No casino operates in the UAE yet; the first, Wynn Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah, opens in spring 2027, roughly an hour from Dubai.
• Tourists aged 18+ can legally buy Big Ticket and Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire tickets, at the airport or online.
• Licensed platforms Play971 and TrueWin require an Emirates ID, so tourists cannot register.
• The UAE Lottery is built for residents, not short-stay visitors.
• Offshore casino sites are unlicensed and illegal in the UAE, VPN or no VPN.

The short answer

For a holiday visitor, the legal options today are two raffle brands rather than casinos or betting apps: Big Ticket in Abu Dhabi and Dubai Duty Free's Millennium Millionaire in Dubai. Both are decades old, regulator-approved and sold to visitors in person and online. Everything else is either closed to tourists or against the law; the first casino resort follows in spring 2027.

What tourists can play today

Big Ticket, Abu Dhabi

Big Ticket has run since 1992 and remains the UAE's best-known raffle. Tickets for the main monthly cash draw cost AED 500, drawn on the 3rd of each month, traditionally at Zayed International Airport. Grand prizes have reached AED 35 million, and weekly e-draws and dream-car draws run alongside. Buy at airport counters in Abu Dhabi or Al Ain, or online at bigticket.ae; the operator confirms the draws are open to many nationalities and accepts foreign ID, so a visitor's passport is enough.

One honest caveat: Big Ticket does not cap or publish ticket sales per draw, so your chance shrinks as sales grow.

Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire

Dubai's equivalent has run since 1999. Each series is capped at 5,000 tickets, and one ticket wins US$1 million. Tickets cost AED 1,000 at Dubai International (DXB), Al Maktoum International (DWC) and online at dubaidutyfree.com. The draw is held publicly at DXB once a series sells out, typically several times a year.

That puts top-prize odds at around 1 in 5,000, remarkably short for a million-dollar prize. Past winners include people who bought online from abroad, so you can enter before you fly or after you get home.

Both sit firmly inside the law: in December 2024 the regulator, the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA), confirmed these two as the only legacy draws permitted alongside the national lottery; every other lottery was ordered to shut. Our guide explains whether Big Ticket and Dubai Duty Free are legal in the UAE.

What about the UAE Lottery?

The UAE Lottery, run by The Game LLC, is the third permitted operator, but it is not aimed at visitors. Its own FAQ describes it as a game for residents, and account verification is built around local ID. Our UAE Lottery rules explainer has the detail for residents.

What tourists cannot do

Play971 and TrueWin

Late 2025 brought the UAE's first licensed internet gaming platforms: Play971 for sports wagering and casino games, and TrueWin, an online casino. Neither is open to tourists. Registration demands a valid Emirates ID (passports and driving licences are rejected), a UAE phone number and address. Players must be 21 or over. Both are geofenced to the UAE, and as of mid-2026 Play971 is not even available in Dubai itself. VPNs fail because your device must share its precise location.

No Emirates ID, no account. The wall is deliberate: licensed operators must verify identity and residency under GCGRA rules. Our guide to whether online gambling is legal in the UAE right now explains the system for residents.

Offshore sites and VPNs

Any other online casino or sportsbook taking bets from the UAE is unlicensed, full stop. The GCGRA's consumer advisory warns that anyone using illegal operators risks fraud, rigged games, stolen data, no recourse on unpaid winnings, and possible implication in a criminal investigation. Unlicensed gambling remains a criminal offence under UAE law. A VPN might hide the traffic; it does not change the legal position.

What changes in spring 2027

Wynn Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah will be the UAE's first casino resort. Wynn Resorts confirmed a first-quarter 2027 opening in February 2026 after the tower topped out, and the date has held despite a brief construction pause this year. The US$5.1 billion resort promises more than 1,500 rooms, 22 restaurants and lounges, and a gaming floor reported at around 224,000 square feet across two separate gaming areas.

The island sits off the Ras Al Khaimah coast, about 45 minutes from Dubai's northern edge and a little over an hour from Downtown Dubai or DXB. Wynn has been open about targeting Middle Eastern and international tourists. Reports suggest tourists and expat residents will be admitted to gaming areas while Emirati citizens will not; the GCGRA has yet to publish final entry rules, so treat that as likely, not confirmed. Our Wynn Al Marjan opening date explainer tracks the timeline.

Practical tips for visitors

• Buy only through official channels: bigticket.ae, dubaidutyfree.com or the airport counters. Ignore "UAE casino bonus" adverts on social media; anything else taking online bets in the UAE is illegal.
• You do not need to be in the UAE to enter, since both raffles sell online to buyers abroad.
• Keep confirmation emails and ticket numbers. Winners are published, but prizes still have to be claimed.
• Ages differ: 18 for the raffles, 21 for the licensed online platforms, which tourists cannot access anyway.
• If your trip is in 2027 and the casino is the point, plan for Ras Al Khaimah rather than Dubai and factor in the drive.

Frequently asked questions

Can tourists gamble in Dubai right now? Not in a casino, because none exists yet anywhere in the UAE. Visitors aged 18+ can legally enter the two airport raffles.

Is there a casino near Dubai airport? No. Dubai International has duty-free raffle counters, not a casino. The nearest will be Wynn Al Marjan Island, about an hour by car from DXB, opening in spring 2027.

Can tourists play the UAE Lottery? In practice, no. The lottery's own FAQ describes it as a game for residents, and its account checks are built around local ID.

Can I buy Big Ticket or Dubai Duty Free tickets online from my home country? Yes. Both sell online to buyers abroad, and past winners include people who bought from outside the UAE.

Is it legal to use offshore casino sites or a VPN while on holiday in the UAE? No. Offshore operators are unlicensed, and unlicensed gambling is a criminal offence under UAE law, VPN or not.

When will I be able to visit a real casino in the UAE? Wynn Al Marjan Island is slated to open in spring 2027; reports indicate tourists and expat residents will be welcome, with final entry rules still to be published by the regulator.

Further reading

• Are Big Ticket and Dubai Duty Free legal in the UAE?
• UAE Lottery vs Big Ticket vs Dubai Duty Free
• Is online gambling legal in the UAE right now?
• What is legal in UAE gaming right now
• Wynn Al Marjan opening date, explained
• UAE Lottery rules explained

Sources

• GCGRA, Consumer Advisory Notice: https://www.gcgra.gov.ae/en/news/gcgra-consumer-advisory-notice/gcgra-consumer-advisory-notice/
• GCGRA, unlicensed operators press release: https://www.gcgra.gov.ae/en/news/press-releases/december-2024-press-release-gcgra-issues-warning-against-unlicensed-lottery-and-gaming-operators/
• Big Ticket Help Desk, Eligibility to Join: https://bigticket-org.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/folders/64000111141
• Big Ticket official site: https://bigticket.ae/
• Dubai Duty Free: https://www.dubaidutyfree.com/
• Gulf News, Play971 guide: https://gulfnews.com/technology/gaming/24-things-uae-players-need-to-know-about-play971-the-countrys-first-licensed-internet-gaming-site-1.500381141
• Khaleej Times, Play971 access guide: https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/play971-uae-full-guide-to-access-sports-wagering-and-restrictions
• Khaleej Times, Wynn Al Marjan on schedule: https://www.khaleejtimes.com/business/ras-al-khaimah-wynn-al-marjan-construction-on-schedule-2027-opening
• What's On, Wynn Al Marjan progress: https://whatson.ae/2025/09/wynn-al-marjan-uaes-first-casino-resort-latest-progress/
• Skift, Wynn targets Middle Eastern tourists: https://skift.com/2025/04/30/wynn-resorts-targets-middle-eastern-tourists-with-uaes-first-casino/
• UAE Lottery FAQs: https://www.theuaelottery.ae/faq?key=FAQs
• iGB, GCGRA illegal operator warning: https://igamingbusiness.com/legal-compliance/compliance/uae-lottery-gcgra-warning/
• Moodie Davitt Report, Millennium Millionaire winner: https://moodiedavittreport.com/dutch-national-wins-dubai-duty-free-millennium-millionaire-prize-draw/
• Visit Ras Al Khaimah, Al Marjan Island: https://visitrasalkhaimah.com/location/place/al-marjan-island/