DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – The United Arab Emirates has created a federal authority to potentially run a national lottery and describe it as “commercial gaming,” possibly a sign that it will seek to protect major casino operators. As is on the verge of allowing gambling. Swarm in the Gulf Arab nation.
State-run WAM news agency announced the creation of the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority late on Sunday, without giving further details about its structure or operations.
It named Kevin Mullally as its CEO. Mullally once served as executive director of the Missouri Gaming Commission, which oversaw that US state’s riverboat casinos.
“I am delighted to be appointed as the inaugural CEO of GCGRA,” Mullally said in the statement. “With my experienced colleagues, I look forward to establishing a stronger regulatory body and framework for the UAE lottery and gaming industry.”
Mullally did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.
Jim Murren was also named as chairman of the authority’s board of directors. Media in the Nevada bastion of the gambling city of Las Vegas have identified Murren as the former chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International, which also runs the casino. Muren could not immediately be contacted by the AP.
Maren has also worked closely with Emirati officials in the past. The largest single development on the Las Vegas Strip was the $9.2 billion CityCenter partnership between MGM Resorts International under Murren and Dubai World, which opened in 2009. Its Harmon Tower never opened due to construction defects and was destroyed.
Muren also led Nevada’s COVID-19 response and tried to motivate the state to use Chinese-made testing kits, donated by the United Arab Emirates. Documents obtained by the AP show that US diplomats and security officials privately warned the state of Nevada not to use Chinese-made coronavirus test kits over concerns about patient privacy, test accuracy and Chinese government involvement .
Describing the authority, WAM said it would “create a socially responsible and well-regulated gaming environment, ensuring that all participants adhere to strict guidelines and comply with the highest standards.”
It added, “It will coordinate regulatory activities, manage licensing at a national level and facilitate the responsible unlocking of the economic potential of commercial gaming.”
The casino has long been rumored to be considered as a way for the UAE to raise funds and boost its tourism industry, especially in Dubai, which is home to the long-haul airline Emirates. Already, duty-free car raffles are bombing those flying out of Dubai International Airport.
A US diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks in 2004 speculated that Dubai’s casino plans had been put on hold out of respect for the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the country’s first president since unification in 1971.
But in recent years the rumors about the casino continued to grow. Britain’s famous cruise ship Queen Elizabeth 2 opened as a hotel in Dubai in 2018 after more than $100 million in renovations. It still contains defunct slot machines. Caesars similarly opened in 2018. Construction continues on projects by casino firms MGM, Bellagio and Aria.
In 2022, Ras Al-Khaimah, the northernmost emirate of the United Arab Emirates, announced a multibillion-dollar deal with Las Vegas-based casino giant Wynn Resorts. Ras al-Khaimah officials have repeatedly refused to directly describe the hotel as being a gamble, although Wynn describes the project as “an integrated resort with post-management”. The term “integrated resort” originated in Singapore to refer to a hotel that includes a casino and other facilities.
Casinos are still rare in most parts of the Middle East because Islam forbids them. However, casinos operate in Egypt and Lebanon. Adding a casino to the United Arab Emirates could help boost its profitable tourism industry – and help it regain Chinese travelers lost during the coronavirus pandemic.
The creation of a federal authority suggests that Abu Dhabi, the country’s capital, would oversee the potential operation of casinos in the country. However, this confederation of seven sheikhs gives absolute power to the local rulers of their seven emirates, especially over social concerns. For example, the Emirate of Sharjah prohibits the sale of alcohol. Any casino operation can follow a similar pattern.
However, casinos and the large amounts of cash they generate pose an increased risk of money laundering. Already, in recent years US-sanctioned war profiteers, terror financiers and drug traffickers have used Dubai’s real-estate market as a haven for their wealth. Ras al-Khaimah also found itself involved in the case of an Alaskan man who laundered $1 billion held in South Korea for Iran.
John Gambrel, The Associated Press
