This is the archive of ArabiCasino's news coverage of gambling in the Gulf and the wider Arab world, going back to 2019. The story it tells has changed direction more than once. Early items record a region where every form of gambling was prohibited and every headline about a Dubai casino was denied within the week. From 2023 the UAE created a federal regulator, the GCGRA, licensed a national lottery, issued a casino licence for Wynn Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah, and in late 2025 licensed its first online sportsbook and iGaming site. The other four Gulf states have not moved, and enforcement against online gambling in Kuwait and Qatar has hardened.
Older posts are kept as they were written, with their original dates. Facts in them, including bonus figures, licence details and the legal position, reflect the date of publication and may no longer hold; the country guides for the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman carry the current position and are updated when the law or the market changes.
Gambling by individuals remains an offence in every Gulf state, and in the UAE only GCGRA-licensed operators may offer gaming. Nothing on this page is legal advice. Newer items appear first.
