Dubai appears ready to legalize gambling. Does Marriott’s new partner MGM Resorts have an advantage?
Las Vegas and Macau might be the world’s leading casino resort destinations, but a potential third might soon join their ranks in a surprising location.
The United Arab Emirates is poised to be the first country in the Persian Gulf region to legalize casino resorts. The UAE launched a new regulatory body, called the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority, with the intent of creating a “regulatory framework for a national lottery and commercial gaming,” according to Emirati state media WAM.
The move might be a potential head-scratcher for some, given gambling is seen at odds with Islam and Sharia law that often guides various Middle Eastern governments. But the UAE (the emirate of Dubai, particularly) and other parts of the region have increasingly relaxed laws, especially for tourists.
Former MGM Resorts International CEO Jim Murren was tapped to chair the GCGRA while longtime casino industry veteran Kevin Mullaly will serve as CEO. But don’t take the MGM connection as any sign the casino resort company is going to get any head start at developing a Dubai megaresort.
Both MGM Resorts, which recently announced a new U.S. partnership with Marriott International, and Wynn Resorts were already underway with plans to build up their respective presence in the UAE before the government’s new gaming authority had officially been announced.
Why casino brands are looking to Dubai
The UAE's moving to legalize casino gambling isn’t out of left field. The leaders of major casino resort owners signaled in recent years plans to open properties in the UAE and indicated they expected legalization was just around the corner.
MGM Resorts first announced plans for a non-gaming Dubai resort in 2017, but the direction of that property appeared to include a casino floor when CEO William Hornbuckle spoke to investors on an earnings call earlier this year.
“As it relates to Dubai, that property continues to evolve,” he said on the call this spring. “The owners want to upgrade the property, I think, with gaming in mind. But it’s up to Abu Dhabi and the national government to ultimately decide … We’re hoping ‘any day.’ But I got to believe as the summer fulfills itself, we’ll hear more news on that.”
Hornbuckle indicated a preference to develop in Dubai but said other emirates could also be in consideration depending on how the legalization effort went.
MGM’s competitor Wynn Resorts also has plans for a nearly $4 billion UAE Resort. The property, Wynn Al Marjan Island, is expected to feature 1,500 guest rooms and villas and be in Ras Al Khaimah, an emirate about 45 minutes from Dubai.
Even before the GCGRA was announced, Wynn Resorts noted the planned resort would have a “gaming area,” which many took as a signal gaming legalization was on the horizon.
While many have hyped the potential contradiction of legalized gaming in a predominantly Muslim nation, there are other countries in the Middle East and North Africa, such as Lebanon, Tunisia and Egypt, that allow casinos. Malaysia also permits gambling.
Murren’s Marriott connection
Murren, the new GCGRA chair, was named the new CEO of the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection in May. The relatively new and growing fleet of superyachts sails under the branding of one of Marriott’s best-known luxury brands and has been seen as a smart gateway for getting loyal hotel customers onto the seas.
His more than 12 years heading up MGM Resorts was seen as a period of significant growth for the company, including the development of CityCenter — known today as the Aria Campus — in Las Vegas. Dubai World, the investment arm of the Dubai government, was a stakeholder in the Aria Campus until MGM announced plans in 2021 to buy out its partner.
Prior to serving as CEO, Murren was the company’s chief financial officer and played a major role in MGM acquiring Mirage Resorts in 2000 and Mandalay Resort Group in 2005. Murren’s time in the top job at MGM Resorts was also during a time when the brand moved beyond Las Vegas and into gaming markets like Detroit, western Massachusetts and just outside Washington, D.C.
But it was Murren’s successor, William Hornbuckle, who led the company at the time of its announcement this summer of a plan to partner with Marriott to bring 17 U.S. MGM Resorts properties into the hotel giant’s booking and loyalty programs.
Don’t start counting your Bonvoy points yet
Just because MGM and Marriott are partnering up in the U.S. at the beginning of October doesn’t mean Bonvoy members should start planning to deploy their points on a Dubai casino resort stay anytime soon. It will be years before anything opens its doors, for starters.
There are still limited details on what the partnership at full rollout will look like beyond clear signals it will be a deeper relationship than what MGM Resorts is winding down with Hyatt on its Las Vegas properties. Unless the Marriott-MGM marriage goes global, Marriott loyalists will have to stick to the world’s largest hotel company’s legacy hotels in the UAE.
Given that some of those hotels include the St. Regis Downtown Dubai, the Dubai Edition and the Bulgari Resort Dubai, it doesn’t appear Bonvoy members are losing out.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.