The iGaming industry is one of two contrasts. Although it is guided by strict laws which has drastically affected market activity and its overall growth, the industry has found a way to survive and give hope to possible investors and developers.
While the gambling industry is growing slowly, it is mostly dominated by offshore sites, especially in the Middle East. These online casinos have become popular picks for Israelis, Saudis, and Emiratis who want to enjoy online slots and table games that aren’t available locally.
They offer the same games found on major international sites and allow payments through crypto, bank transfers, and other options that fit players in the region.
Combined with parts of Africa, the Middle East’s gambling sector brought in about $5.3 billion as revenue in 2024. Between 2025 and 2030, the industry is expected to grow by 10.4% annually, reaching an estimated revenue of $9.6 billion by 2030.
To reach this target, countries like the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are making significant efforts in the form of partnerships with global brands to establish land-based casinos.
In April this year, the UAE gave new vendor licenses as it continued in the development of a solid regulatory framework for its gambling market. Both licences were issued by the UAE’s General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA).
One of the vendors, a Kentucky-based gaming supplier popular for its lottery-based solutions, will use this license to provide premium gaming content to consumers in the UAE. Securing such a license is a huge step forward, as it means foreign operators can use this to push their mission of reaching new audiences and delivering secure and innovative gaming solutions to the Middle East.
Through these developments, the UAE’s GCGRA wants to ensure that it develops its local gambling scene with exceptional land-based gambling facilities that can rival those in other parts of the world.
In July 2025, the UAE’s GCGRA awarded Konami Gaming, Inc. a gaming-related vendor license. With this license, Konami can officially offer its SYNKROS casino management system and its Class III RNG slots to licensed land-based commercial casino operators in the UAE.
The UAE’s national lottery operator, The Game LLC, also partnered with Xpoint, a North American geolocation specialist, to help the country develop and comply with regulatory requirements.
While the UAE strives to grow its gambling scene, Saudi Arabia has continued its crackdown on unregulated gambling sites as it issued new warnings to marketing agencies and media outlets responsible for illegal gambling promotions.
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and other countries in the region continue to invest in esports, tourism and sports. Saudi, in particular, is investing heavily through its Vision 2030 plan. Its National Gaming and Esports Strategy aims to add US$13.3 billion to the economy by 2030 and create about 39,000 jobs by building new gaming infrastructure, hosting tournaments, and training talent. There is optimism that these investments may soon get to the casino industry.
There are also hopes that if the UAE’s efforts to fully promote land-based casinos like Wynn Resorts, which would open in 2027, are successful and the country maintains a good level of compliance with its growing list of international operators, then maybe other countries in the region will follow suit
