The UAE gaming picture changed fundamentally in September 2023, when the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority was established as the federal regulator for commercial gaming. Lottery, internet gaming, sports wagering and land-based gaming facilities are now lawful in the UAE — but only where GCGRA-licensed. Everything outside that licence remains prohibited, for operators and players alike. The regulated market is still young: the national lottery launched in November 2024, the first licensed internet gaming and sports wagering platform went live in late 2025, and the first integrated casino resort is expected in 2027.
This page is written for one audience only: operators that already hold, or are formally in process for, a GCGRA licence. Payment processing for gaming is a specialist discipline anywhere in the world — regulatory risk drives the classification here as much as chargeback risk does — and in a market this new, acquirers are underwriting the licence first and the business second. If you do not hold a GCGRA licence, no legitimate UAE payment arrangement is available to you, and any provider suggesting otherwise is not one you want.
What Licensed Gaming processors look for
Underwriting for this category is documentation-led. Having these ready before you apply is the single biggest lever on both approval odds and how fast you get a decision.
- A current GCGRA licence, or a formal in-process reference, with the number verifiable
- AML and counter-terrorist financing policy, with a named responsible officer
- KYC at registration and again at withdrawal
- Age verification meeting the regulated minimum
- Responsible-gaming controls, including deposit limits and self-exclusion
- Segregated player-fund handling, documented
- Geo-blocking that prevents play from jurisdictions you are not licensed for
Frequently asked questions
Commercial gaming is lawful in the UAE only where licensed by the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority, which was established in September 2023. Lottery, internet gaming, sports wagering and land-based facilities all fall inside that framework. Anything outside a GCGRA licence remains prohibited — for operators and for players.
Yes. Acquirers serving this category underwrite the licence before the business, and will not open a file without it. An operator holding a formal in-process reference can sometimes begin the conversation, but no legitimate UAE payment arrangement exists for an unlicensed operator.
It sets the baseline that acquirers underwrite against. Expect to evidence your AML and counter-terrorist financing programme, KYC at both registration and withdrawal, responsible-gaming controls including deposit limits and self-exclusion, and segregated handling of player funds. These are compliance checks rather than credit checks, which is why the process runs longer than in other categories.
The minimum age is set by the GCGRA framework and enforced through the licence conditions, and your age-verification process is something acquirers will examine directly. Confirm the current requirement against GCGRA guidance rather than relying on a summary, and build verification into registration rather than bolting it on.
No. Taking wagers from UAE players without a GCGRA licence is prohibited, and no legitimate acquirer will process for it. Any provider offering to arrange payments for an unlicensed operator serving this market is offering something that exposes you to criminal liability, not a commercial solution.