Last Updated on August 11, 2026 by Bala Kumar
Wynn Resorts has pushed back the opening of what was set to be the United Arab Emirates’ first-ever casino, and the reason has less to do with construction logistics than with geopolitics thousands of miles away. Wynn Al Marjan Island, the company’s flagship project in Ras Al Khaimah, will now open in September 2027 instead of its original 2026 target — a delay that’s also added roughly $600 million to the project’s price tag, pushing the total cost past $5.7 billion.
What Wynn Actually Said
The news came out of Wynn’s second-quarter earnings call, where CEO Craig Billings laid out the reasoning in fairly direct terms. The U.S.-Iran conflict in the region, he explained, has rippled into global supply chains and shipping insurance markets, forcing the project to resource, reroute, or expedite certain materials and equipment just to keep construction on some kind of track. On top of that, the company ran into disruptions getting staff and consultants where they needed to be. Between the two issues, both the timeline and the budget took a hit.
Importantly, Wynn isn’t planning a staggered rollout to soften the delay. Billings confirmed the property won’t open in phases, every amenity is expected to be ready simultaneously when the doors finally open. Hotel room construction and operations planning, including hiring, are reportedly still moving forward in the meantime.
In Billings’ words: he described the project as “one of a kind,” adding that Wynn remains “as committed to and confident in the UAE as ever” despite the setback.
A Casino Unlike Anything Else Wynn Has Built
Whatever the delay costs Wynn in timeline and budget, the scale of what’s being built hasn’t changed. The resort centers on a 1,500-room beachside hotel and casino — set to be one of the largest properties in Wynn’s entire portfolio — alongside a shopping venue, a spa, and dedicated meeting and event space. The signature piece is a 70-story Resort Tower finished in bronze and white-gold tones, topped by a spire reaching 352 meters over the Persian Gulf. The whole development sits within Al Marjan Island’s man-made archipelago, fronted by white-sand beaches roughly 50 minutes from Dubai by road.
Why the UAE Casino Market Is Being Watched So Closely
Wynn currently holds the only commercial gaming license in the UAE, awarded by the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) back in October 2024. The property will pay a blended tax rate between 10% and 12% of gross gaming revenue, a structure that puts the UAE roughly in line with Singapore’s gaming tax framework rather than the more favorable rates seen in some other jurisdictions.
Billings has previously modeled the broader UAE market as worth somewhere between $3 billion and $5 billion in gross gaming revenue once additional competitors eventually enter — and he’s suggested that estimate might actually be conservative given how little competition has been announced so far. GCGRA’s executive chairman, former MGM Resorts CEO Jim Murren, has gone further, indicating he expects as many as four casinos to eventually be built across the country. For now, though, Wynn effectively has a first-mover monopoly in a market regulators clearly expect to grow well beyond one property.
Poker Fans Have a Reason to Pay Attention Too
Buried inside the broader casino story is a detail poker players will want to note: Wynn Al Marjan Island is planning a dedicated poker room. The property’s Vice President of Poker Operations has already been building out the team ahead of opening, framing the buildout as a deliberate, ground-up effort rather than an afterthought tacked onto the casino floor. It positions the eventual property as a genuinely new entrant on the international live poker map — assuming the September 2027 timeline holds.
The Regional Context
The UAE won’t be entering an entirely gambling-free region once Wynn opens. Lebanon, Egypt, and Cyprus already have operating casinos, and legal horse race wagering exists in Turkey, Lebanon, and Cyprus as well. What makes the UAE project notable isn’t that it’s the first legal gambling anywhere nearby — it’s the scale, the single-operator exclusivity (for now), and the fact that a company like Wynn is willing to commit well over $5 billion to a market that’s still, in Billings’ own description, “very small” geographically but “tightly coupled” with strong infrastructure and high GDP per capita in the surrounding area.
The Bottom Line
A 15-month delay and a $600 million cost increase would be a rough update for almost any casino project. But given that Wynn is building what may be the most closely watched integrated resort opening anywhere in the world over the next several years, in a market its own regulators expect to eventually support multiple competitors, the company seems to be treating the delay as a temporary complication rather than a reason for concern. Whether that confidence holds up will become clearer as September 2027 approaches.
FAQs
When will Wynn Al Marjan Island open?
Wynn Resorts now expects Wynn Al Marjan Island to open to the public in September 2027, delayed from its original 2026 target.
Why was the Wynn UAE casino delayed?
Wynn CEO Craig Billings pointed to disruptions from the U.S.-Iran conflict in the Middle East, which affected global supply chains, shipping insurance markets, and the movement of staff and consultants working on the project.
How much will Wynn Al Marjan Island cost?
The delay added roughly $600 million in costs, pushing the total price tag of the resort to more than $5.7 billion.
Where is Wynn Al Marjan Island located?
The resort is being built on Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah, one of the UAE’s northernmost emirates, located roughly 50 minutes from Dubai.
Will Wynn Al Marjan Island have a poker room?
Yes, the property has confirmed plans for a dedicated poker room and has been building out its poker operations team ahead of the resort’s opening.
Is Wynn the only company allowed to build a casino in the UAE?
Wynn currently holds the only commercial gaming license issued in the UAE, granted by the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) in October 2024. Regulators have suggested as many as four casinos could eventually be licensed in the country.
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