London-based Arena Racing Company (ARC) has been awarded a gaming-related vendor licence in the UAE.
Granted by the Gulf country’s General Commercial Gaming Authority (GCGRA), the licence gives ARC the ability to expand its offering into the Middle East.
ARC’s products and services include the Racing1 Markets platform – a specialised horse and greyhound racing solution that uses technology from Pythia Sports and leverages premier partnership deals with 1/ST CONTENT, Racecourse Media Group (RMG), and Australia’s Tabcorp.
Jack Whitaker, Commercial Manager at ARC, said: “Obtaining this license is a great achievement for ARC and its Racing1 partners. The emerging regulated UAE market is incredibly exciting, and we look forward to showcasing our innovative products and services in the region.”
UAE testing the ground
Gambling has historically been prohibited in the UAE, and in large continues to be so, but the idea of establishing a potential market to supplement the country’s already major tourism sector has slowly crept into official discussions.
These talks gave birth to the GCGRA, which was founded back in 2023. The country currently does operate a lottery, but it is organised and conducted by the state itself. There is, however, a land-based casino licence, which is owned by Wynn Resorts.
Wynn is in the process of developing a major integrated resort on the island of Ras al Khaimah, with an opening date scheduled in March 2027.
Additionally, there have been a multitude of companies related to the gambling sector that have been granted various licenses for entry into the UAE, such as ARC.
Another example is Sportradar, which was approved by the GCGRA earlier in October. Yolo Group was also approved for B2B operations through two of its subsidiaries – Live88 and Hub88.
All in all, everything points to 2026 being a very active year for the future of gambling within that particular region.