Hotel and casino operator Wynn Resorts will open a casino at the luxury resort it is building in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, Chief Executive Craig Scott Billings confirmed, a first for the Gulf Arab region, where gambling is traditionally off-limits.
The casino will mark a watershed moment for the Gulf, a region that has traditionally imposed stricter Islamic rules than other parts of the Middle East. The casino is also expected to be “larger than” the operator’s flagship U.S. gaming venue – Wynn Las Vegas, added Billings said during an earnings call to media .
Ras Al Khaimah and Wynn announced in January that the resort was licensed for gaming without specifying more. The 1000-room Wynn Marjan is scheduled to open in 2026 on the Al Marjan Island development off the coast of Ras Al Khaimah.
“The casino component, where at least for some period of time, we will be operating on our own, which makes it quite exciting, is shaping up to be somewhat larger than Wynn Las Vegas”, he said.
“When you think about a market like that where you’re — where you, for some period of time, will be the only operator, you certainly don’t want to underbuild the casino, but you want to maintain that sense of energy,” he added.
