Could Casinos Ever Make Their Way To Dubai?

Dubai has earned a reputation as one of the most glamorous locations on Earth and is often described as a millionaire’s playground. VIP service is the order of business, with five-star hotels dominating the beach and city landscapes, supercars as common as taxis, and designer shopping malls offering the most expensive couture and jewelry available.

Considering the wealth of its residents and tourists, Dubai would seem the perfect destination to become the Las Vegas of the Middle East: a population with plenty of disposable income who enjoy glamour and the high life.

While other countries in the Middle East - including Lebanon and Egypt - have opened casinos to cater to their residents and tourists, Dubai has so far resisted.

However, at the start of August, the Dubai rumor mill went into overdrive after a job vacancy was posted to various career websites advertising for a “Senior Manager, Casino Operations Execution” based in Dubai. This led many people to believe that Dubai were finally going to get involved in the casino industry.

However, the company which advertised the job - hotel chain Marriott International - clarified the post by explaining: “Marriott International Middle East & Africa regional offices are headquartered in Dubai and from this office we manage a number of disciplines across the entire Middle East & Africa region.

“We operate casinos outside of the UAE and currently operate Casino’s in North and South Africa which are managed by the respective regional teams from our regional headquarters.”

While the statement ended any immediate hopes of a casino opening in Dubai, it did renew the conversation, and has led many residents to ask: will a casino one day make its way to Dubai?

Strict Islamic law makes gambling illegal in Dubai and there can be major ramifications for anyone caught operating underground casinos or hosting high-stakes games of poker or blackjack.

However, that does not mean all forms of gambling are completely prohibited. There is a huge racing culture in the United Arab Emirates - both camel and horse - and those who attend the racetrack can take part in sweepstake-style gambling whereby they predict the outcome of the races to win various prizes.

Additionally, while online casinos and gambling sites are blocked on the internet, the biggest websites can be easily accessed through a VPN server. This has allowed many residents who wish to participate in online casino games - like blackjack and poker - or sports betting - like football, tennis, baseball or other online sportsbook games - to still gain access to their favorite markets.

While all of that does not necessarily signal improved chances of opening a physical casino in Dubai, the relaxation of other strict laws in recent years perhaps offer greater encouragement.

Dubai and the UAE had always boasted some of the strictest drug laws in the world, with long prison sentences imposed on anyone found carrying even the smallest amounts. However, in a major change to the law in 2017, fines, community service and rehabilitation courses replaced prison terms for first-time offenders.

Similarly, the finance laws. In the past, those who bounced cheques or found themselves in debt they were unable to pay back, faced the prospect of debtors’ prison. While that is still the case in extreme circumstances involving hefty sums of money, small fines are now much more common than extreme punishment.

This was a clear sign of the UAE adjusting their laws for the 21^st century and moving their justice system more in line with modern times.

If Dubai could pass such drastic changes to its drug and finance laws, could a relaxation of their gambling laws eventually follow suit?

Dubai’s purchase of the iconic QEII ship, which has been turned into a luxury hotel with nightclubs and bars, led many to believe that a casino could be opened on board. At present, only decommissioned slot machines are available on the QEII since its refurbishment.

Caesars Entertainment - the owners of the world-famous Caesars Palace in Las Vegas - are also set to open a hotel in Dubai, and while the tourism board insists it will be casino-free, it has only led to more speculation about future casinos in the city.

For a city that relies so heavily on tourism - despite popular belief, Dubai is not oil-rich like neighbor and UAE capital Abu Dhabi - it is not beyond the realms of possibility that casinos of some form could make their way to the emirate.

Author: Jonathan Turner