UAE regulator awards more vendor licences
Additional UAE vendor licences have been awarded this week by the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA), including a commercial gaming vendor licence for Novomatic.
The GCGRA was established by the UAE in 2023 and has been tasked with establishing the market’s regulatory framework for gambling. national lottery and commercial gaming. In June last year it awarded the nation’s only lottery licence to The Game LLC.
It has since issued its first commercial land-based gaming licence to Wynn Resorts.
Austrian-based Novomatic has been licensed to provide land-based gaming services in the UAE, alongside a handful of other vendors. Novomatic said, in a 10 April statement, it aims to be a “reliable partner for licensed operators” in the UAE.
“Our latest gaming solutions are designed to deliver exceptional performance to land-based gaming facilities across the United Arab Emirates, ensuring that international players can enjoy their preferred games with the same high standards and quality they expect from other jurisdictions worldwide,” Novomatic executive board member Stefan Kreen said.
UAE lottery and Xpoint partner on geoblocking services
Also this week, North American geolocation services and security provider Xpoint has been chosen by UAE’s lottery operator The Game LLC to act as its geolocation vendor.
Players will only have access to the UAE lottery product within specific areas of the UAE and the operator must meet certain has geolocation regulations, and will use Xpoint’s services to block access in excluded regions, such as a regulatorily-mandated exclusion zones in the UAE.
“This collaboration supports The Game’s commitment to providing a secure and compliant lottery experience nationwide,” Xpoint said in a 7 April release. The UAE regulator has also provided it a vendor licence.
“Engaging with Xpoint ensures that the UAE Lottery meets the country’s stringent data requirements,” the Game LLC director of lottery operations Bishop Woosley said of the partnership.
“The supplier will utilise a private cloud to ensure all data remains on UAE soil. This aligns with local regulations and will ensure the highest level of data security.”
EQL Games gains gaming-related vendor licence
Kentucky-based EQL Games was also awarded a GCGRA licence on 10 April for gambling related vendor services.
EQL Games has a focus on lottery related games and will offer “a suite of high-end gaming products in the UAE on any regulated gaming platform”, the supplier said.
“Securing this licence marks a significant step for EQL Games as we continue our mission to bring innovative, secure and responsible lottery solutions to markets worldwide,” said EQL Games CEO Brad Cummings said in a released statement.
The UAE will shortly launch commercial land-based gambling, as the funding for Wynn’s integrated resort was completed in February. It secured a total of $2.4 billion (£1.93 billion/€2.31 billion) from a global syndicate of lenders.
First announced in January 2020, the Wynn Al Marjan Island development is expected to cost approximately $5.10 billion.
Wynn Resorts stated in February that 64% of the structural concrete of the main resort tower had been completed.