IGT Joins UAE’s Licensed Gaming Vendors as Country’s Market Grows

International Game Technologies (IGT) has joined the expanding roster of gaming vendor suppliers licensed by the GCGRA in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) market.

IGT and UEA Sign an Agreement

The agreement makes IGT Global Services the seventh company to be approved as a gaming-related vendor in the UAE. The approval aligns with the regulator’s ongoing efforts to enhance the commercial gaming sector in the Emirates. Interestingly, this recent development was made without an official announcement, as the company is now listed as a licensed entity on the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority’s (GCGRA) website.

The UAE’s gambling market is still quite early in its development. In fact, it could be argued that it started as recently as 2022 when Wynn Resorts announced a $2 billion Al Marjan Island project, which is still being developed today. However, since then, the UAE’s gambling scene has been growing faster and faster. Just last week, the UAE signed a memorandum of understanding with New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE). It establishes a benchmark for cross-border regulatory collaboration for one of the most rapidly evolving gambling markets in the Middle East.

Considering the many licensees now operating in Arab countries, the UAE is also creating its own gambling market. Last December, the country launched its first-ever regulated lottery, The Game LLC. Since then, numerous operators have entered the state’s market, with perhaps Novomatic’s entry into the UAE last month being one of the most prominent.

More About IGT

International Game Technology PLC, previously known as Gtech S.p.A. and Lottomatica S.p.A., is a global gambling company specializing in the production of slot machines and other gaming technologies. The company is headquartered in London, with key offices located in Rome, Providence (Rhode Island), and Las Vegas.

Over the years, IGT has changed its name multiple times. While it started as Lottomatica, after it acquired Gtech Corporation in 2006, it rebranded as Gtech in 2013. In 2015, it purchased the US-based gambling firm International Game Technology and subsequently adopted the IGT name.

Since then, the company has continued to grow and change. Apart from its deal in the UAE, one of the most important developments in IGT’s history happened last year. In February of 2024, the company announced plans to spin off its non-lottery businesses through a tax-free transaction, which would then immediately merge with Everi. Later that year, Apollo Global Management revealed its intention to acquire the newly created entity.