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MGM chief teases potential casino in Dubai

The fountains of the Bellagio in Las Vegas. The hotel brand is one of three being built by MGM in Dubai Alamy via Reuters
The fountains of the Bellagio in Las Vegas. The hotel brand is one of three being built by MGM in Dubai
  • CEO ‘excited’ by lottery licence
  • Three hotels coming to Dubai
  • Gaming uncertified in city

The chief executive of MGM Resorts International, a major operator of casinos, has hinted at the possibility of opening a branch in Dubai, buoyed by evolving gaming regulations in the UAE.

William Joseph Hornbuckle was bullish on a recent announcement by the UAE authorities of a lottery licence, and said he viewed it as a precursor to broader gaming reforms in the Gulf state, where gambling has traditionally been prohibited.

The UAE’s General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority, which was established last year, has publicly released comprehensive gaming regulations and issued the nation’s first lottery licence to Abu Dhabi’s The Game LLC.



“We’re obviously excited by the position in Dubai,” Hornbuckle said. 

“We and our partner have an amazing facility property there under construction as we speak. We’re driving pylons right now. And that facility has accommodation for large-scale casinos.”

In February he said that MGM’s $2.5 billion Dubai project – comprising three iconic Las Vegas hotels including MGM, Bellagio and Aria – would not feature a casino.

Announced in 2017, the project is a part of Wasl Asset Management Group’s The Island megaproject. 

An opening date has not yet been set.

While gaming remains uncertified in Dubai, the Wynn Al Marjan Island Resort in Ras Al Khaimah, which opens in 2027, will include a casino.

Hornbuckle also pointed to Abu Dhabi’s potential as a gaming destination, suggesting the possibility of each emirate issuing its own licences.

“Now timing is still unknown,” he said. “It kind of keeps moving around. But I can’t imagine by end of this quarter or into early next.

“We won’t know with some specificity around what it means for Abu Dhabi and then potentially what the umbrella language is as it relates to all of the other emirates.

Real estate consultancy CBRE estimates that legal gambling could generate $8.5 billion annually for the UAE.

“There’s a lot of opportunities throughout the region.”