First Official National Lottery Launched in the UAE

The UAE’s General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) has approved the country’s first national lottery. The lottery, called UAE Lottery, was awarded to Game LLC, a commercial gaming operator, and is set to offer a variety of lottery games to satisfy the diverse interests and financial preferences of players.

The move by the GCGRA, which was founded last September, is part of a drive to implement regulations within the UAE’s lottery gaming sector to bolster transparency, accountability, and consumer protection. Since the body’s founding, a number of lotteries that were operating without a license, including Mahzooz and Emirates Draw, have been suspended.

Past unlicensed lotteries were mainly used by the UAE’s large migrant worker Indian population. This trend is set to continue, with Indians being the main users and beneficiaries of UAE Lottery.