Is There a Casino in Dubai in 2026? The Honest Answer

Last updated: 24 July 2026

No. There is no licensed casino operating in Dubai today, and there has never been one. But the short answer is no longer the whole answer. The UAE now has a federal gaming regulator, one licensed casino resort under construction about an hour's drive from Dubai, and several fully legal ways to play within the emirate itself. Much of what ranks for this question still claims gambling is "strictly illegal" across the country — that stopped being accurate in 2023, and this page is the corrected version.

Key takeaways

• No licensed casino exists in Dubai emirate as of July 2026, and none is under construction with a gaming licence.
• The UAE's only licensed casino operator is Wynn, building Wynn Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah — roughly a 45-to-60-minute drive from central Dubai, opening in 2027.
• The Island by Wasl will bring MGM Grand, Bellagio and Aria hotels to Dubai in Q3 2028 — without a casino. MGM operates under a non-gaming agreement.
• Caesars Palace Bluewaters never had a casino and is now the Banyan Tree Dubai.
• Legal in Dubai today: The UAE Lottery, Dubai Duty Free's Millennium Millionaire raffle and Abu Dhabi's Big Ticket.
• Unlicensed gambling remains a criminal offence, and even the licensed online platform Play971 is geoblocked in Dubai as of June 2026.

The short answer, with the fine print

Dubai has no casino, no casino licence and no announced date for either. Gaming in the UAE is regulated federally by the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA), set up in September 2023 — there are no emirate-level gaming regulators, so any future Dubai casino would need a GCGRA licence, whatever local approvals came first.

That federal framework is the part older guides miss. Since 2023 the GCGRA has licensed a national lottery, an online casino and sportsbook, one land-based casino resort and a growing list of gaming suppliers. "Gambling is strictly illegal in the UAE" is now simply wrong; the accurate version is that unlicensed gambling is illegal.

The nearest real casino: Wynn Al Marjan Island, Ras Al Khaimah

The only licensed casino operator in the country is Wynn Resorts, which received the UAE's first commercial gaming facility licence on 4 October 2024 for Wynn Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah. On the GCGRA's most recent public register it remains the sole land-based licensee, as we tracked in our report on Wynn's solitary place on the register.

The resort is a US$5.1 billion project with 1,530 rooms and a gaming floor of roughly 225,000 square feet. Construction is well advanced, and the official opening window is 2027, after Wynn acknowledged a "modest delay" on its May 2026 earnings call. Our Wynn Al Marjan opening date explainer tracks the timeline.

For Dubai readers, the practical point is geography: Al Marjan Island is about 45 minutes to an hour from central Dubai by car. When it opens, the first legal casino in UAE history will be a routine day trip from Dubai — not in it.

The Island by Wasl: MGM names, no casino

The source of most "Dubai casino" confusion is The Island, a resort under construction on the Jumeirah coast near the Burj Al Arab. It will carry three Las Vegas brands — MGM Grand, Bellagio and Aria — across roughly 1,400 rooms, with opening targeted for Q3 2028.

Here is what is actually confirmed. The project is owned by state-backed Wasl and managed by MGM Resorts under a non-gaming agreement. No casino is part of the plan, and no gaming licence has been applied for or granted for the site. Reports that floor space has been reserved for possible future gaming circulate widely, but the figures vary between outlets and none is officially confirmed.

MGM chief executive Bill Hornbuckle has been consistent on the mechanics. In December 2023 he said he would "love to be in Dubai with an operating product with a casino in it, but one step and one day at a time," adding: "It's up to each ruler to decide." In 2026 he confirmed MGM still had no approval to operate a casino at the Dubai resort. Notably, MGM's only formal GCGRA application — reported in September 2024 and still pending — is for Abu Dhabi's Yas Island, not Dubai.

Whatever happened to Caesars Palace Dubai?

Another persistent myth. Caesars Palace Bluewaters operated from 2018 as a non-gaming hotel; it never had a casino and never secured a gaming licence. Caesars exited in September 2023 and the property reopened that November as the Banyan Tree Dubai. Any site offering a "Caesars Palace Dubai casino" in 2026 is describing a hotel that no longer exists and a casino that never did.

What you can legally play in Dubai today

Three options are licensed and running:

• The UAE Lottery. Operated by The Game LLC under the country's first lottery licence, with draws twice weekly plus scratch cards and instant games. Physical tickets are sold at three Dubai ADNOC stations, alongside online sales. See our UAE Lottery rules explainer.
• Dubai Duty Free's Millennium Millionaire. The long-running US$1 million raffle, sold at DXB and online, produced another winner in June 2026.
• Big Ticket. Abu Dhabi's monthly raffle continues to draw normally, and tickets can be bought online from Dubai or abroad.

We compared all three in UAE Lottery vs Big Ticket vs Dubai Duty Free.

One legal shift worth knowing: from 1 June 2026, a new Civil Transactions Law made licensed gaming contracts enforceable in UAE courts for the first time. The wider picture is in our guide to what is legal in UAE gaming right now.

What is still off-limits

Unlicensed gambling remains a criminal offence, and the GCGRA warns that consumers using unlicensed operators risk penalties themselves. Offshore casino sites, tipster groups and unlicensed prize draws all sit outside the law; our guides to spotting unlicensed gaming offers and illegal gaming risks cover the details.

The subtler case is Play971, the UAE's licensed online casino and sportsbook. It is fully legal — but not in Dubai. As of June 2026 the platform is geoblocked in the emirate, displaying the message "Access is not available in Dubai or outside the UAE," while players in Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah can register. Even the licensed online route is currently closed to Dubai residents, and using a VPN to work around that violates the platform's terms. Details are in our explainer on Play971's location checks.

FAQ

Is there a casino in Dubai right now? No. No licensed casino operates anywhere in the UAE yet; the first, Wynn Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah, opens in 2027.

When will Dubai get a casino? There is no confirmed date and no pending public application. The Island by Wasl opens in Q3 2028 without gaming; any future casino there would need a GCGRA licence and local approval.

How far is the nearest casino from Dubai? Wynn Al Marjan Island is roughly 45 to 60 minutes by car from central Dubai; a taxi runs about AED 200–250 each way.

Did Caesars Palace Dubai have a casino? No. It was always a non-gaming hotel, and it is now the Banyan Tree Dubai.

Can I gamble online in Dubai? Not legally, at present. Play971 is geoblocked in Dubai as of June 2026, and offshore sites are illegal.

Is the UAE Lottery legal in Dubai? Yes. It is licensed federally by the GCGRA and available to players in Dubai, including physical tickets at three ADNOC stations.

Can tourists gamble in Dubai? Tourists can buy Dubai Duty Free and Big Ticket raffle tickets and play the UAE Lottery; casino gaming will not be an option until Wynn opens in 2027. Our tourist guide has the full breakdown.

Further reading

• Wynn Al Marjan opening date explained
• Wynn Al Marjan FAQ
• What is legal in UAE gaming right now
• Is online gambling legal in the UAE right now?
• UAE Lottery rules explained
• Can tourists gamble in the UAE?
• Illegal gaming risks in the UAE

Sources

• GGRAsia, "RGB said to be awarded gaming-vendor licence in UAE" (only one licensed casino operator: Wynn): https://www.ggrasia.com/rgb-said-to-be-awarded-gaming-vendor-licence-in-uae
• GCGRA, official site: https://www.gcgra.gov.ae/
• Projectory, "Wynn Al Marjan Island Advances Toward 2027 Opening" (21 July 2026): https://projectory.ae/insights/wynn-al-marjan-island-advances-toward-2027-opening/
• RAKTraveller, Wynn Al Marjan Island guide (licence of 4 October 2024, resort facts): https://raktraveller.com/wynn-al-marjan/
• WOW-RAK, Al Marjan Island guide (drive times from Dubai): https://wow-rak.com/al-marjan-island-ras-al-khaimah-complete-guide/
• FACT Magazine, "Everything we know about Dubai's The Island" (non-gaming agreement, Hornbuckle quotes): https://www.factmagazines.com/uae/dubai/hotels/everything-we-know-about-dubais-1-2-billion-las-vegas-inspired-the-island
• Arabian Post, "MGM island resort targets 2028 Dubai opening": https://thearabianpost.com/mgm-island-resort-targets-2028-dubai-opening/
• Skift, "Caesars Palace Dubai to Close After 5 Years, to Become Banyan Tree Dubai": https://skift.com/2023/09/13/caesars-palace-dubai-to-close-after-five-years-in-uae-to-become-banyan-tree-dubai/
• Dubai Holding, "Ennismore & Banyan Tree Group ink deal with Dubai Holding" (13 September 2023): https://www.dubaiholding.com/en/media-hub/press-releases/ennismore-banyan-tree-group-ink-deal-with-dubai-holding-to-bring-banyan-tree-to-bluewaters
• Khaleej Times, "Play971 UAE: Full guide to access, sports wagering and restrictions" (6 June 2026): https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/play971-uae-full-guide-to-access-sports-wagering-and-restrictions
• The UAE Lottery, official site: https://www.theuaelottery.ae/
• Dubai Duty Free, official site: https://www.dubaidutyfree.com/
• Big Ticket, official site: https://www.bigticket.ae/