Play971 becomes UAE’s first fully authorised online sportsbook and iGaming platform

Weeks after securing regulatory approval, Play971 has gone fully live as the United Arab Emirates’ first licensed real-money online sports wagering and iGaming site, marking a historic shift in the GCGRA’s rollout of a regulated digital gambling market.

Play971 is now fully operational for eligible users in the UAE after going live on Monday, 15 December, becoming the country’s first authorised online sports betting and casino-style gaming platform. The site is licensed and supervised by the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) under both “Internet Gaming” and “Sports Wagering” categories, and is operated by Abu Dhabi–based Coin Technology Projects LLC.

According to regulatory and company records, Play971 received its GCGRA licence in late November and initially ran a limited rollout before switching to full live operation this week. The platform offers a mix of online casino games — including blackjack and roulette — alongside sports betting markets on the UEFA Champions League, English Premier League, horse racing, cricket and other global events.

Under the GCGRA framework, players must be at least 21 years old, physically located within the UAE and outside designated “sensitive geographic areas”. The use of VPNs or other tools to mask a player’s true location or identity is explicitly prohibited, and the operator warns that winnings may be forfeited if these rules are breached. Eligibility is limited to residents and visitors inside the UAE, with additional conditions potentially applying to Emirati citizens at emirate level.

Play971 incorporates responsible gambling tools in line with the regulator’s expectations, including player-set deposit limits, time-out options and self-exclusion features, as well as age-verification measures and links to external support services. Its launch also comes as the GCGRA moves toward a model of up to one consumer-facing online gaming licence per emirate, mirroring the country’s land-based casino structure, and expands a licensing roster that already includes the UAE Lottery operator The Game LLC, Wynn’s Al Marjan Island resort in Ras Al Khaimah and a growing list of approved B2B vendors such as Sportradar.

For the wider region, Play971’s full launch signals that the UAE’s commercial gaming framework is moving from theory to practice. While lawmakers have yet to publish a standalone federal gambling law, the combination of GCGRA licensing, strict eligibility rules and real-money online offerings positions the UAE as one of the first Gulf markets to operate a fully regulated iGaming and online sports betting platform at scale.