UAE Pushes Online Casinos Through the Only Licensed Company Momentum

The UAE’s digital gaming scene is shifting faster than anyone expected, and Momentum is right in the middle of it. Known for running the UAE’s only licensed lottery, the company has quietly stepped into a much bigger arena by operating two online platforms packed with casino titles and sports betting markets – TrueWin and Dream Island. Momentum is currently the sole operator allowed to offer legal gaming through the UAE Lottery, but neither of the new platforms shows any licensing information from the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority, the regulator formed in September 2023.

This slipped out not through any official announcement, but via a report in Arabian Gulf Business Insight late last week. 

Both sites are already live. Both offer far more than lottery-style play. And both raise the same question: how far along is the UAE in building a real online gaming framework? Continue reading to get more insights on UAE gaming revolution. Follow Arnifi for more such interesting market updates.

A Move Forward While Rules Are Still Forming

Spend a few minutes on TrueWin or Dream Island and you’ll see the full range of casino and betting products, live dealer rooms, roulette, poker, slots, plus lines on major sports like football, cricket, tennis, basketball, and more.

The catch is that there’s still no published legislation that clearly allows or regulates online gambling. Momentum has legal permission to run the national lottery, but these two new platforms don’t yet show any licensing references from the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA), the federal body set up in late 2023 to oversee the sector.

The domain history adds another layer. TrueWin.ae was registered in early 2023, months before the GCGRA existed. Dream Island’s domain goes back to 2020. That timeline suggests the groundwork for both platforms was laid long before the UAE publicly began shaping its regulatory structure.

Momentum’s intent wasn’t exactly hidden. Earlier this year, the company posted a job listing for a commercial director to lead a new digital gaming brand. It was an early signal that a much larger strategy was already taking shape.

A Market Getting Ready for Its Next Chapter

This acceleration comes at a moment when everyone, from analysts to operators, is waiting to see how far the UAE will go in formalizing gaming laws. Nothing official has been issued yet, but expectations are high.

Industry estimates shared with AGBI suggest that regulated gambling could eventually contribute about 1.3 percent of the UAE’s GDP, roughly US$6.6 billion. That would put the country ahead of established gaming hubs like Singapore.

There’s also the Wynn Resorts project in Ras Al Khaimah, a multibillion-dollar integrated resort that is widely expected to house the UAE’s first on-site casino. Alongside that, the GCGRA has started approving supplier licenses for major global brands such as Aristocrat, Light & Wonder, IGT, Konami, and Sportradar. Another operator, Coin Technology Projects LLC, is also listed with an online platform called Play 971. People inside the industry have linked this entity to Momentum as well, pointing to a broader ecosystem that’s beginning to take shape.

Reports from Vixio GamblingCompliance hint at a possible future model, one B2C online gaming license per emirate. That mirrors early discussions around land-based casinos and suggests the UAE could be heading toward a structured, region-by-region licensing system once the legal framework is finalized.

A Sector in Transition

The conversation intensified when Kevin Mullally, who helped establish the GCGRA, stepped down earlier this month. His exit comes at a time when the regulator is expected to clarify how online platforms like TrueWin and Dream Island fit into the bigger picture.

For now, Momentum’s expansion shows where the market is naturally drifting. The platforms are live. Users are active. Major suppliers are already licensed. And development on the first potential casino is underway.

What this really means is that the UAE’s gaming landscape is shifting from speculation to momentum, no pun intended. The rules may not be finished yet, but the foundations of a full-fledged online gaming sector are already being built in plain sight.