MGM CEO Hornbuckle Surprised Company Hasn’t Won UAE Casino License

• Gambling
• 10 September 2025

Bill Hornbuckle, CEO of MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM), is shocked that the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) authorities have not yet authorized a second casino license.

This is causing a delay in the development of a gaming venue at MGM's $2.5 billion beachfront hotel in Dubai.  The facility, which is situated on an artificial island, will include replicas of the Aria, Bellagio, and MGM Grand, some of the operator's most recognizable properties on the Las Vegas Strip.  In 2028, the UAE location is expected to open.

"I thought by now, Abu Dhabi would have ruled on what they were doing,” said Hornbuckle at a recent industry conference. “There’s a lot of dialogue around that.”

Wynn Resorts' (NASDAQ: WYNN) Wynn Al Marjan Island is the only casino license that the General Commercial casino Regulatory Authority (GCGRA), the UAE's only gaming regulator, has authorized to date.  Jim Murren, the former CEO of MGM, is in charge of the GCGRA.

In the UAE, MGM wants a casino

MGM is clearly interested in joining the UAE casino industry.  In the event that the UAE leadership approves gaming, the business reserved 150K square feet of space at the Dubai site for a casino.Hornbuckle stated at the 2023 Global Gaming Exhibition (G2E) that MGM would be thrilled to have a casino in Dubai and that the Emirates offer a very attractive possibility.  He has also described it as a "fascinating" area, suggesting that the operator will be prepared to take action as soon as it receives approval.

“We don’t have permission yet from the ruler of Dubai to go forward. I don’t know when we’ll hear, but I do believe this … If this gets a casino, and I believe it will over time, we think it’s a massive opportunity,” said the MGM boss by way of Arabian Gulf Business Insight (AGBI).

Competition in UAE Casinos May Get More Intense

Since the GCGRA isn't in a rush to award another casino license, it is now widely believed that Wynn Al Marjan Island will have a multiyear casino monopoly in the UAE when it opens in 2027.  Operators will still compete for space there for future permits, despite this.

There are indications that the UAE will be a competitive casino industry, even though Wynn Al Marjan Island is not yet open.  MGM might be prepared to open at any time, and Wynn might be able to add a second gambling establishment in the future.

Although it's generally accepted that having at least three or four integrated resorts is necessary to reach those heights, some industry executives and experts have projected that the UAE could eventually rank as the fourth-largest casino market in the world by gross gaming revenue (GGR), behind only Macau, Las Vegas, and Singapore.