Exclusive: Momentum and Fanatics launch UAE gaming joint venture
Momentum Group, the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) first gaming licensee, has established a joint venture with Fanatics to operate and grow commercial gaming activities in the market.
While terms of the joint venture are not yet publicly available, all Momentum’s existing commercial gaming licences and operations will form part of the joint venture. The General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) has already approved the change in control for these licensed entities, comprising the UAE Lottery and commercial gaming site Play971.
Fanatics brings its product, technology and experience of scaling quickly in the US to the partnership. Momentum and Fanatics will now jointly invest in technology, product and customer experience, as well as develop new responsible gaming and player protection safeguards.
“The UAE has built one of the world’s most carefully regulated commercial gaming markets, and this joint venture is a reflection of the confidence that brings,” Momentum group chief operating officer Scott Burton said.
“Combining Momentum’s regional experience with Fanatics’ global product capability creates a partnership well placed to grow alongside this market for the long term.”
New phase for UAE gaming
Since winning the tender to operate the UAE Lottery in July 2024, Momentum Group has emerged as a serious player in the nascent UAE gaming market. The lottery, operated by its subsidiary The Game LLC, launched in December of that year.
It achieved another milestone launch in November 2025, when Play971 became the first fully licensed iGaming business to launch in the UAE. Initially offering only iGaming, it rolled out sports and race betting in June this year.
At the time of the sports betting launch Momentum commercial director for iGaming Philippa Bowland told iGB that, while the site was early in its journey, the response from players gave the business “confidence in both the opportunity ahead and the role Play971 can play in shaping this new category”.
The joint venture with Fanatics marks “the natural next step” in Momentum’s journey to growing the gaming ecosystem in the UAE, Burton told iGamingBusiness.
“The UAE’s regulated commercial gaming sector is maturing, and partnering with a global operator of Fanatics’ standing lets us bring world-class product and technology to UAE players as the market goes from strength to strength,” he explained.
“Our ambition has always been to support a robust and well-regulated ecosystem, to introduce regional firsts and to build something with genuine global relevance. Fanatics helps us to accelerate our shared ambitions to innovate and entertain.”
Fanatics UAE gaming joint venture ‘the natural choice’ for first international move
The joint venture also marks Fanatics’ first foray outside its core US market.
“We have always said we would only expand internationally when we found the right market and the right partner,” Fanatics president of gaming Conor Grant said. “The UAE offers both a newly regulated market with a long-term vision for commercial gaming, and Momentum, a trusted local operator with deep market knowledge and a shared commitment to building responsibly.
“That combination made it the natural choice for Fanatics’ first international gaming expansion.”
The combination is not simply a partnership with one Fanatics subsidiary; instead it brings to bear the entire sports ecosystem under the Fanatics umbrella.
Grant added that the ultimate ambition is to create experiences that enhance fan engagement rather than treating wagering as a standalone product.
“We have proven in the United States that we can build a gaming platform that is fast, secure and rewarding, and we will bring that same technology, product discipline and customer-first approach to the UAE,” he explained.
With the agreement freshly signed, Grant was unwilling to discuss specific product launches, but added there was significant opportunity to create “unique connections between gaming, FanCash, collectibles and merchandise that none of [its] competitors can match”.
Player protection at the forefront of the partnership
Since the GCGRA was established in September 2023, it has put particular emphasis on creating an innovative and flexible regulatory framework that foregrounds player protection.
Burton argues that player protection was baked into all products from the outset, not added at a later stage. Both the UAE Lottery and Play971 offer deposit limits, time-outs and self-exclusion, while secure identity verification ensures all players are of legal age – 18 for the lottery; 21 for iGaming and sports betting – while also supporting safe registration and anti-money laundering compliance.
Momentum also deploys local technology such as mental wellbeing platform Takalam to support any player whose gambling becomes unsustainable.
“The aim throughout is to make commercial gaming a safe and sustainable form of entertainment, and a trusted alternative to unregulated sites, with real guardrails in place,” Burton said. “That combination of a single strong regulator and the commitment from Momentum as an operator is what sets the UAE apart.”
Grant noted the JV creates an opportunity for two-way learning. “Fanatics brings experience operating across highly regulated US jurisdictions, while Momentum brings valuable local insight,” he explained, adding that the partners will also explore new ways to support customers and promote sustainable play using technology and data.
UAE gaming market begins to take shape
The launch of the UAE Lottery and Play971 have taken place as Wynn Resorts continues construction on Wynn Al-Marjan Island in Ras Al-Khaimah, which is due to open next year. The property secured the first commercial gaming licence in the UAE in October 2024, and was due to open in Q1 2027.
However that date is subject to change, with building disrupted by the US and Israel’s war against Iran. Wynn said it faces a “modest delay” in its Q1 2026 earnings call in May.
Overseeing the market is new GCGRA chief executive Ciarán Carruthers, who started in the role earlier this month. Carruthers began work on 9 June, replacing Kevin Mullally who departed in November last year.
The UAE’s regulatory framework permits one land-based gaming facilities licence per Emirate, plus one internet gaming and one sports wagering licensee per Emirate. Aside from MGM Resorts, which has talked about its ambitions for the market, few companies have publicly declared their interest in entering the UAE.
In 2024, GCGRA chair Jim Murren even suggested other licensees would follow over “five to ten years” rather than immediately as the market begins to take shape.