Wynn Resorts has a potential casino monopoly in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), at least for awhile, after securing the only gaming license in the country. That will have to wait, however. The company has delayed the opening of Wynn Al Marjan Island from 2026 to September 2027.
The delay includes an additional $600 million in costs, putting the price tag of the luxury resort at more than $5 billion. The project is located in the country’s northernmost territory of Ras Al Khaimah near Dubai.
In a second quarter earnings call, CEO Craig Billings pointed to the U.S.-Iran conflict in the Middle East as a reason for the changes.
“As development of Wynn Al Marjan Island progresses, regional conflict-related disruptions initially impacted global supply chains and continue to impact the shipping insurance markets,” he said. “This has required certain materials and equipment to be resourced, rerouted, or expedited to ensure the project’s construction timeline.
“In addition, we experienced certain other disruptions associated with the movement of staff and consultants and other non-recurring issues. These disruptions have impacted both the timing and cost of the project. On timing, we now expect the project to open its stores to the public in September 2027.”
Work Advancing On Hotel, Operations Planning
Work is currently being done on hotel rooms, Billings said. Hiring and operations planning are also advancing. The property won’t open in phases. All amenities will be ready to go when the property officially opens, he said.
“What we are building in the region is one of a kind, and the quality of work on site is truly extraordinary,” he said. “We continue to believe this will be the most exciting integrated resort opening globally in over a decade, and we remain as committed to and confident in the UAE as ever.”
The company received a commercial gaming license from the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) in October 2024. The property will pay a blended tax rate of between 10% and 12% of gross gaming revenue (GGR). That makes the UAE casino plan comparable to the industry in Singapore.
Plans call for Wynn to build a 1,500-room beachside hotel and casino, which will be one of the company’s largest properties. The resort will also include a shopping venue, a spa, and a meetings and event space.
The 70‑story Resort Tower will feature colors of shimmering bronze and white‑gold, topped by a spire 352 meters overlooking the Persian Gulf. The property is part of the Al Marjan Islands’ man-made archipelago fronted by white-sand beaches.
Up To Four Casinos May Be Coming
The UAE could produce a sizable casino market, according to Billings. In November 2025, he said Wynn was modeling the UAE as a $3 billion to $5 billion gross gaming revenue market once additional competitors enter the market, according to the Khaleej Times.
“We were factoring in two incremental competitors and a market that is $3 to $5 billion of GGR,” he said in a 2025 earnings call. “We always tend to operate at a fair share premium… With no announced competition that we’re aware of in the (UAE) market thus far, there probably is some conservatism in those estimates.”
Billings added that the market is robust and has a high gross domestic product per capita. He also pointed to some additional positives for the project and the area in general that could help produce growth as a gaming market.
“It’s a very small market, geographically, but it’s very tightly coupled,” he said. “[Wynn Al Marjan] is about 50 minutes from Dubai, all with great road infrastructure. Those are all the things that we look at when assessing market size.”
Wynn’s projections of two casino resorts in the area could indeed be conservative. GCGRA Executive Chairman Jim Murren, a former MGM Resorts CEO, said he expected as many as four casinos being built in the coming years.
Poker Coming To Wynn UAE Project
The Wynn Al Marjan will include a poker room. The company said in March the property was seeking to hire a cardroom manager.
“Wynn Poker is coming to Al Marjan Island,” the property’s Vice President of Poker Operations Ryan Beauregard wrote on Twitter. “First, we build the environment, and now we build the team. We are driven by a passion for the game, and the desire to create exceptional experiences for each of our guests.”
The UAE won’t be the only Middle Eastern country with legalized gambling. There are casinos in Lebanon, Egypt, and Cyprus. Legal horse race wagering is also available in Turkey, Lebanon, and Cyprus.
