Can You Bet on the World Cup in the UAE? Play971's Sportsbook, Explained

Last updated: 24 July 2026

Yes — for the first time, legally, but only under strict conditions. In early June 2026, days before the FIFA World Cup kicked off on 11 June, Play971 opened full sports betting to players in the UAE, becoming the country's first licensed online sportsbook. The catch: you must be at least 21, physically inside an emirate where the service is live, and not in Dubai, where the platform remained geoblocked as of June 2026. The tournament ended with the final on 19 July, but the sportsbook it launched for is now a permanent fixture of the UAE's regulated market.

Key takeaways

• Play971 launched full sports betting in early June 2026, timed ahead of the FIFA World Cup (11 June – 19 July 2026), and is described by industry press as the UAE's first licensed online sportsbook.
• It is operated by Coin Technology Projects LLC, the only company on the GCGRA's public register for internet gaming and sports wagering.
• Players must be 21 or over, register with an Emirates ID, and be physically in the UAE with location services enabled; VPNs and proxies are blocked.
• In June 2026 the platform was confirmed live in Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah; Dubai was geoblocked, and availability is decided emirate by emirate.
• Betting on offshore, unlicensed sites remains illegal in the UAE, World Cup or no World Cup.
• The World Cup is over, but the sportsbook continues, covering other international sports and UAE football.

The short answer

For the 2026 World Cup, a UAE resident in a permitted emirate could legally bet on the tournament for the first time in the country's history. Khaleej Times reported on 5 June 2026 that Play971 had opened football markets for the upcoming international matches, and industry outlets including Yogonet and Focus Gaming News covered the sportsbook launch on 8–10 June. Markets for the FIFA games, alongside NBA basketball, were live before the tournament began, with wagers available on everything from the number of goals scored to individual halves and corners.

The context matters. Commercial gaming was prohibited in the UAE until the federal regulator, the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA), began issuing licences. Play971 went live in late 2025 as an internet gaming platform; the June 2026 sportsbook extended it into full sports wagering just as the world's biggest sporting event arrived. As our guide to whether online gambling is legal in the UAE right now explains, licensed play is now lawful — and everything unlicensed remains a criminal offence.

What the sportsbook actually offers

The football product was the headline, but the sportsbook is broader than the World Cup. According to Khaleej Times' June 2026 guide, players can bet on horse racing, cricket, tennis, futsal, ice hockey and baseball as well as football and basketball. Yogonet reports the markets cover major international competitions plus regional events, including UAE football and horse racing.

Alongside the sportsbook, Play971 carries an online casino — slots, blackjack, roulette, baccarat, poker and bingo — plus fantasy games, esports and proprietary titles, with live dealer tables streamed from a GCGRA-licensed studio in Abu Dhabi. We cover the mechanics in our explainers on Play971's rules and deposits and withdrawals.

Who is behind it, and why it is legal

Play971 is operated by Coin Technology Projects LLC, an Abu Dhabi company within the Momentum Group, and the only entity listed on the GCGRA's public register under both internet gaming and sports wagering. Yogonet reports the approval was the 19th licence issued by the GCGRA since the regulator was established in September 2023. The structure is the same one behind The UAE Lottery; we profiled it in our piece on Coin Technology Projects' UAE licences.

Two legal shifts underpin the launch. First, the sports wagering licence itself: only GCGRA-licensed operators may offer sports betting, and licensees must meet responsible-gambling, player-protection, privacy and anti-money-laundering standards. Second, from 1 June 2026 the new Civil Transactions Law made licensed gaming contracts civilly enforceable for the first time. The penal ban on unlicensed gaming is unchanged — so the distinction between Play971 and an offshore site is the difference between legal and criminal, as our explainer on illegal gaming risks in the UAE sets out.

Where it works — and where it does not

This is the part most readers get wrong. Play971 does not operate uniformly across the seven emirates. Khaleej Times confirmed in June 2026 that the site was accessible from Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah, while attempts to reach it from Dubai were blocked. The site itself tells Dubai visitors: "Play971 is accessible within the UAE only, except Dubai."

The company is explicit that this is deliberate. "Platform availability is determined at the emirate level," Philippa Bowland, Play971's commercial director for iGaming, told Khaleej Times, adding that any expansion is "subject to local frameworks and regulatory approvals." Note that all licensing still sits with the federal GCGRA — there are no emirate-level gaming regulators — but operators appear to be rolling out market by market.

The geolocation rules are strict. Your device must share its precise location, VPNs and proxies must be disabled, and access from outside the UAE is refused outright; Play971 location checks explained has the details. Attempting to bypass these checks can void winnings and get accounts restricted, as set out in Play971 account restrictions explained.

Who can play and how to register

You must be at least 21, resident in the UAE, and physically in a permitted emirate. Registration requires an Emirates ID plus a phone number and address, with identity verification before play — covered in Play971 KYC verification explained. The rule is location and age, not nationality, which is why our guide on whether tourists can gamble in the UAE gives the same answer.

What happens now the World Cup is over

The tournament concluded on 19 July with the final at MetLife Stadium, but the sportsbook built for it is not going anywhere. The World Cup was the launch pad, not the product. Play971's football coverage extends to UAE domestic football, and the operator says it "remains open to opportunities" for expansion, subject to local approvals — so the Dubai question stays live.

The operator's backing has also deepened. On 29 June 2026, Fanatics entered a joint venture with Momentum Group under which Play971 and The UAE Lottery are to be powered by the partnership — Fanatics' first move outside the United States, and a sign the regulated market Play971 leads is consolidating rather than experimenting.

FAQ

Can you legally bet on the World Cup in the UAE? Yes, through Play971, the UAE's first licensed online sportsbook, which opened World Cup markets in early June 2026. You must be 21 or over and physically in a permitted emirate. The 2026 tournament ended on 19 July, but the sportsbook continues to cover other events.

Is sports betting legal in the UAE now? Yes, but only with a GCGRA-licensed operator. Coin Technology Projects LLC, the company behind Play971, is the only entity on the regulator's register for sports wagering. Betting with unlicensed offshore sites remains a criminal offence.

Can I use Play971 in Dubai? No, not as of June 2026. The platform was geoblocked in Dubai while confirmed live in Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah. The operator says availability is determined emirate by emirate and expansion depends on regulatory approvals.

What sports can I bet on at Play971? Football (including UAE football), basketball, horse racing, cricket, tennis, futsal, ice hockey and baseball, according to Khaleej Times' June 2026 reporting, plus casino games and live dealer tables.

Can I use a VPN to access Play971 from Dubai or abroad? No. The platform requires your device's precise location and instructs users to disable VPNs and proxies. Attempting to bypass geolocation can void winnings and lead to account restrictions.

What do I need to register for Play971? An Emirates ID, a phone number and an address, and you must be at least 21. Identity verification is required before you can play or withdraw.

Further reading

• Play971 rules explained
• Play971 location checks explained
• Play971 KYC verification explained
• Play971: the UAE's only licensed online gaming operator, April 2026
• Is online gambling legal in the UAE right now?
• What is legal in UAE gaming right now
• Coin Technology Projects' UAE licences
• Illegal gaming risks in the UAE

Sources

• Khaleej Times, "Play971 UAE: Full guide to access, sports wagering and restrictions": https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/play971-uae-full-guide-to-access-sports-wagering-and-restrictions
• Khaleej Times, "UAE's Play971 launches football wagers ahead of World Cup": https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/play971-access-football-fans-wager-international-matches
• Yogonet, "UAE launches first licensed online sportsbook Play971 ahead of World Cup": https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2026/06/10/123259-uae-launches-first-licensed-online-sportsbook-play971-ahead-of-world-cup
• Focus Gaming News, "UAE's Play971 launches football betting ahead of 2026 FIFA World Cup": https://focusgn.com/uae/uaes-play971-launches-football-betting-ahead-of-2026-fifa-world-cup
• 15M, "UAE's Play971 Opens Legal Football Betting Markets": https://15m.com/news/play971-turns-uae-sports-wagering-rules-into-live-football-markets/
• iGB, "Exclusive: Momentum and Fanatics launch UAE gaming joint venture": https://igamingbusiness.com/strategy/fanatics-uae-gaming-joint-venture-momentum/
• FOX Sports, World Cup 2026 tournament dates: https://www.fox5ny.com/news/fifa-world-cup-2026-watch-usa-match-friday-june-19
• MetLife Stadium, FIFA World Cup 2026 final: https://www.metlifestadium.com/events/detail/fifa-world-cup-2026-final
• GCGRA, official site: https://www.gcgra.gov.ae/