With its first casino resort set to open in 2027, a little-known emirate is suddenly an unlikely hot gaming market. Here’s how the U.S.
casino giant made a high-stakes bet on its future—and left Abu Dhabi, Dubai and other casino operators in the dust. W ynn Resorts CEO Craig Billings raised eyebrows a year ago when he told investors that the United Arab Emirates was the “the most exciting new market opening in decades.” Outside of Egypt and Lebanon, casinos are practically nonexistent in the Middle East, since majority Muslim countries typically ban gambling.
Even more intriguing: At the time Billings was enthusing about the UAE’s gaming future, the kingdom had exactly zero casinos. It didn’t even have a gaming authority. But by then Wynn had already rolled the dice on the UAE.
In 2022, the company announced an ambitious new project—a $3.9 billion luxury “integrated resort” set on a man-made barrier islet in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, also known as RAK. The plans called for a glittering hotel tower with 1,500 high-end rooms and suites, as well as private villas on the marina adjacent to the resort.
There would be 24 restaurants and lounges, a spa, a beach club, a 9-acre poolscape, a high-end shopping esplanade, multiple entertainment venues, and nightly state-of-the-art laser and light shows. From the outset, the designs included a gaming floor—though, at the time, Wynn did not yet have a casino license. Billings’ bet paid off last month, when the UA.
