Wynn Al Marjan Island: Opening Date, Casino Licence and Latest Updates

Wynn Al Marjan Island, the UAE’s first licensed casino resort, is now due to open in September 2027. Wynn Resorts confirmed the date on 4 August 2026, moving it from the spring 2027 window it had given before. The resort is being built on Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah, about 50 minutes from Dubai International Airport, and will have 1,530 rooms and suites, 22 restaurants, lounges and bars, and the first casino floor licensed by the federal regulator, the GCGRA.

This page brings together what has been officially confirmed about Wynn Al Marjan Island — the opening date, the licence, the budget, what the resort will contain, how construction is going and what is still unknown. We update it whenever Wynn Resorts or the GCGRA publish something new. Last updated: 16 October 2026.

News · Published 16 October 2026

Wynn Al Marjan Island at a Glance

When Does Wynn Al Marjan Island Open?

The current official date is September 2027. Wynn Resorts announced it with its second-quarter 2026 results on 4 August 2026. Chief executive Craig Billings said that construction was “progressing at a rapid pace” and that the company and its partners in Ras Al Khaimah were “pleased to announce that Wynn Al Marjan Island … will open its doors to guests in September of 2027”. The company’s quarterly filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission repeats that the resort “is currently expected to open in September 2027”.

It is the first firm month Wynn has given. Before that, the company spoke of “early 2027”, and in December 2025 the resort’s own update still referred to a spring 2027 opening. Press reports attribute the later date to the regional conflict of 2026, which disrupted shipping routes and deliveries of materials. In March 2026 Wynn said that construction “has resumed following a short pause” and that its design and development team had been able to keep working.

“Open in September 2027” is a company forecast, not a fixed launch day. Wynn has not yet announced a specific date, and has not said whether the hotel, restaurants and casino will open at the same time. Large resorts often open in phases, so treat any exact day you see online as speculation until Wynn confirms it.

Timeline: From Licence to Opening

The Gaming Licence

On 4 October 2024 the GCGRA issued a Commercial Gaming Facility Operator licence to the company developing the resort, a joint venture between affiliates of Wynn Resorts, Marjan and RAK Hospitality Holding. Wynn described it as the first commercial gaming facility licence in the UAE. In the GCGRA’s register of licensees, the land-based gaming licensee is listed as Island 3 AMI FZ-LLC.

The GCGRA is a federal regulator with authority across all seven emirates. It regulates four kinds of commercial gaming — lottery, internet gaming, sports wagering and “land-based integrated gaming facilities or resorts” — and states that any commercial gaming without its licence is illegal, including for the people who play. Its register lists one licensee of each kind: the national lottery, one online operator (Play971) and Wynn Al Marjan Island as the only land-based casino. Our UAE gambling laws guide explains the full framework.

Is There a Casino in Dubai?

No. Wynn Al Marjan Island is in Ras Al Khaimah, not Dubai, and no casino in Dubai holds a GCGRA licence. Searches for a “Wynn casino Dubai” refer to this resort: it is the nearest licensed casino to Dubai, about an hour’s drive north. Our guide to the casino in Ras Al Khaimah covers getting there, the games and what is known about entry rules.

What Will the Resort Include?

Wynn has published the accommodation mix in detail. The resort has 1,530 rooms and suites in total:

• Enclave — a hotel within the hotel, high in the tower: 297 suites with six floor plans, from 800 sq ft King Suites to two-storey Royal Apartments of 16,000 sq ft, with three private pools.
• Dining and nightlife — 22 restaurants, lounges and bars across the resort.
• Pools and beach — twelve pools and 4,500 feet (about 1.4 km) of private beach, according to Wynn.
• Entertainment and shopping — Gulf News reports a 900-seat theatre and a 15,000 square-metre retail promenade.
• Marina — the waterfront Marina Estates sit beside a deep-water marina.

How Big Is the Casino?

Wynn has not published the size of the gaming floor or the number of tables and slot machines. When the plans were unveiled in 2023, the Nevada Independent reported that gaming would take up about 4% of the property’s roughly 5.6 million square feet. Treat that as an early design figure: the final layout will only be known closer to opening.

Construction Progress

By the topping-out in December 2025, 27 months after foundation works began, the main tower had reached 283 metres across 70 floors. Khaleej Times reported that all 1,530 rooms and suites had reached structural completion, interior fit-out was under way in 1,504 of them, and the façade was 79% installed. With its spire, scheduled for installation in 2026, the tower will stand 352 metres — the tallest building in the Northern Emirates. “Standing at 352 metres and, as the highest building in the Northern Emirates, Wynn Al Marjan Island is reshaping the skyline of Ras Al Khaimah,” said Max Tappeiner, president of Wynn Al Marjan Island.

Press reports in August 2026 said construction had moved on to interior work, with hiring and operational planning under way.

Budget and Financing

Press reports in August 2026 put the total budget at about USD 5.8 billion, up by USD 600 million, with roughly half of the increase blamed on disruption from the regional conflict — higher logistics and construction costs. Earlier reports, including Gulf News, cited USD 5.1 billion.

Wynn’s own filings show how it is paid for:

• Equity — Wynn funds 40% of the design and development costs in exchange for 40% of the joint venture. By 30 June 2026 it had contributed USD 1.06 billion in cash, and it estimates its remaining share at USD 525–650 million, including Janu Al Marjan Island.
• Debt — in February 2025 the project company signed a delayed-draw loan facility of about USD 2.4 billion.
• Guarantee — Wynn and the government of Ras Al Khaimah, through its Investment and Development Office, jointly guarantee completion of the project to the lenders, with First Abu Dhabi Bank as security agent.

Who Will Be Allowed to Gamble?

This is the question most visitors ask, and neither the GCGRA nor Wynn has published the entry rules for the casino floor yet. What is known:

• Tourists and residents are the expected market. Wynn has presented the resort as a destination for international and regional visitors.
• UAE citizens — in 2023 the Nevada Independent reported that Emiratis would not be allowed into the gaming area. That has not been confirmed in any published regulation, so treat it as a report rather than a rule.
• Minimum age — not yet published for the casino. For comparison, the GCGRA’s licensed online operator, Play971, only accepts players aged 21 or over who are physically in the UAE.
• Player protection — the GCGRA requires every licensed operator to run a responsible gaming programme, with tools such as limits and self-exclusion.

We will update this section as soon as the entry requirements are published. Until the resort opens, there is no legal casino floor anywhere in the UAE.

What It Means for Players in the UAE

Until September 2027, the UAE’s licensed gambling options are the national lottery and one online operator, Play971. When Wynn Al Marjan Island opens, it will be the first place in the country where you can legally play roulette, blackjack, baccarat or slots in person.

The licence covers only that resort. It does not make other casinos, physical or online, legal in the UAE: international online casinos remain unlicensed there, and the GCGRA warns that playing with unlicensed operators can be penalised. If you are planning a visit to play, our online roulette guide explains the house edge of each variant — the same maths applies at a land-based table.

Wynn Al Marjan Island Careers

Hiring for the opening is under way. Wynn recruits through its official careers portal, careers.wynnalmarjanisland.com, and its official LinkedIn page. Pre-opening hiring for a resort of this size covers hotel, food and beverage, security, finance and gaming roles such as dealers and table supervisors — and the GCGRA has a separate licence category for gaming employees.

Be wary of recruitment offers that arrive through other channels, ask for a fee or promise a job in exchange for payment. Apply only through the official portal, and confirm salary, contract terms and staff accommodation with Wynn directly, in writing.

Photos and Official Updates

Official renderings and construction photos are published in the Wynn Al Marjan Island section of the Wynn Resorts newsroom and on the resort’s website, wynnalmarjanisland.com. Wynn also reports progress every quarter with its financial results, which are the most reliable source on the opening date — they are filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission and must be accurate.

What We Still Don’t Know

• The exact opening day, and whether the resort will open in phases.
• The size of the casino and the number of tables and slot machines.
• Entry rules for the casino — minimum age, nationality, and any membership or entry fee.
• Room rates and when bookings will open.
• Which games will be offered, and the table limits.

FAQ