UAE signs deal with casino giant Wynn

UAE signs deal with casino giant Wynn

Hotel and casino operator Wynn Resorts will build a luxury resort in Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates with a “gaming area”, it said on Tuesday, potentially paving the way for gambling to be allowed in the Muslim Gulf state.

Wynn did not specify if gaming included gambling but in a sign that entertainment rules might be loosened, the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) said on Tuesday it had created a new Department of Entertainment and Gaming Regulation to regulate “integrated resorts”.

Diplomats have said the UAE could move to permit gambling as part of wider legislative reforms aimed at maintaining its edge as a tourism and business hub amid rising regional competition.