UAE’s Play971 launches legal football betting to residents

Play971, the United Arab Emirates’ first licensed sports wagering and iGaming operator, has this week launched its football betting offering to UAE-based customers.

The offering complements its iGaming offering, launched back in November, and first reported by iGB. Play971’s site is operated by Coin Technology Projects LLC, which forms part of the Momentum Group in Abu Dhabi, the business behind The UAE Lottery.

Going live on Thursday via a domestically licensed platform, the product provides residents with access to international sporting fixtures for the first time. Betting will be available to locally-based international residents aged 21 and older, through its Play971.ae website.

While the site is available across the UAE, geo-blocking could be enforced in future to prevent local access in specific emirates or regions, however there has been no indication of the likelihood of this at this stage.

In addition to international events, regionally focused markets such as local football and horse racing have been made available.

Beyond sports betting, the site offers casino-style games and live-dealer tables streamed from an Abu Dhabi studio licensed by the gaming regulator, the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA).

‘Fan first’

Philippa Bowland, Play971’s commercial director for iGaming, described the platform as “fan first”, noting the front-end design was built especially to enhance the sports fan’s experience. 

“For the first time, a locally rooted platform like Play971 adds a new layer to the sports experience – making it possible for fans to play sustainably, rally behind their teams and enjoy major football moments together,” she said. 

The operator said it planned to roll out additional features including match and player markets, exclusive tournament-themed games and fan-focused promotions.

UAE’s gaming expansion

As activity in the UAE heats up, a number of online and land-based vendors have received licences to operate over the course of the last year.

In October crypto-betting operator Yolo Group secured two gaming-related vendor licences from the GCGRA, permitting Yolo to supply iGaming content to the regulated market in the UAE. 

Land-based gambling in the Emirates is also in development, as Wynn works to finish its $5.1 billion Al Marjan Island integrated resort.

Work on the development was suspended on 28 February, after US and Israeli forces attacked Iran in the military action dubbed Operation Epic Fury. However the venue is still primed for a 2027 launch.