Connect with us

Latest News

SPORTS CONNECTS – the China Sports Forum – announces initial speaker line-up

Published

on

SPORTS CONNECTS - the China Sports Forum - announces initial speaker line-upReading Time: 4 minutes

 

Sports Connects – the China Sports Forum – will feature a 2-day international summit in English and Mandarin to connect 300+ senior industry executives from the global and Chinese sports industry. The programme will include a cross-section of speakers representing stakeholders from the global and Chinese sports fraternity. Currently confirmed to speak at Sports Connects 2018 are:

Sports Connects – 中国体育论坛 – 将举办为期两天的英语和普通话国际高峰会,汇集来自全球和 中国体育产业的300多位资深高管。议程将包括代表全球和中国体育相关的发言人。目前确认出 席Sports Connects 2018演讲者有:

Andrew Collins, CEO, ​Mailman Group
Arjun Chowdri, Senior Director, Global and Corporate Strategy, ​PGA of America
Caroline Darcy, Group Head – Advertising, Social Media and Sponsorship APAC, UBS
Catherine Gibbs, Head of Sponsorship, ​AIA Group
Chris Robb, Founder & CEO, ​Mass Participation Asia
Danielle Jin, Vice President, Head of Marketing of Greater China, ​Visa
David Yang, CEO, ​Wanda Sports China
Derek Chang, CEO, ​NBA China
Edmund Chu, Founder and Executive Director/Managing Director, Kosmos/SECA
Eric Geng Hui, Senior Director Strategic Business Development, ​China Sports Media
Helen Soulsby, Managing Partner, APAC, ​Sports Recruitment International
Ian McGibbon, Global Marketing Lead, Brand Partnerships & Sponsorships, ​Bose Corporation
Jason Fung, Global eSports Director, ​Alisports,​​ ​Alibaba Group
Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive, ​The R&A
Michael Patent, CEO, ​Culture Group
Richard Young, Managing Director, ​NFL China
Robbie McRobbie, CEO, ​Hong Kong Rugby Union
Scott Dinsdale, Managing Director, ​FutureNext Pty Ltd
Steve Tew, CEO, ​New Zealand Rugby
Tenniel Chu, Vice Chairman, ​Mission Hills Group
Tianyi Zhou, Operations Director, ​Weibo Sports
Victor Cui, CEO International, ​ONE Championship

Said Branded CEO Jasper Donat: “China has addressed its need to modernise in its continuing journey to commercialise a sustainable sports infrastructure. There is a discernible difference in today’s China sports industry and it is largely due to the contribution, expertise and calibre of the speakers we feature at Sports Connects.”

Branded 执行长Jasper Donat说:「中国理解在实现可持续体育基础设施商业化的持续发展中需 要实现现代化。今天的中国体育产业有这样的明显差异,主要是要归功于我们在体育连接上演讲 者的贡献,专业知识和才能。」

Jason Fung, Alisports, Alibaba Group stated: “To build competition IP, we are looking to build our international presence – one of the programme tenets at Sports Connects.”

Tianyi Zhou, Weibo Sports added: “With the development of the Internet and new technologies, how Chinese audiences consume information has completely changed. More and more sports fans are checking news on the Weibo platform during their fragmented time, with short form videos around events and tournaments, to engage with sports in every way. China’s sports industry is undergoing earth-shattering change.”

微博体育运营总监周天一说:「随着互联网新模式新技术的发展,已经彻底改变了中国人信息消 费的习惯。越来越多的体育迷通过微博平台获取赛事新闻、利用碎片化时间消费赛事短视频、全 方位的参与互动,中国的体育产业也因此发生了翻天覆地的改变。」

Sports Connects, the China Sports Forum, is presented by Weibo Sports, Mission Hills, Mailman and ONE Championship and Branded.

Sports Connects – 中国体育论坛,由微博体育, 观澜湖, 邮人体育,One冠军赛和Branded一同举 办。

Event scheduled for 26t​h​ – 28t​h​ November 2018, at Mission Hills, China
活动将于​2018年​ ​11​月​26​日至​28日​ 在中国观澜湖举行

About Weibo

Weibo is a leading social media for people to create, share, and discover Chinese content. Weibo provides individuals and organizations with public opinions in real time, interacts with others, and maintains contact with the world in an unprecedented and simple and convenient manner. Any user can create and publish microblogging and attach multimedia or long content. The user’s relationship on Weibo may be asymmetric, and each user can follow any other user, comment on any one Weibo and forward it. The simplicity, asymmetry, and fragmentation of

Weibo make it possible for the original Weibo to evolve into a real-time viral communication flow.

关于微博
微 博 是 ​专 ​供 人 ​们 创 ​作 、 分 享 和 ​发 现 ​中 文 内 容 的 ​领 ​先 社 交 媒 体 。 微 博 为​ ​个 人 和 ​组 织 实 时 ​公 开 表 达 自 己 的 意 ​见 ​, 与 他 人 ​进 ​行 社 交 互 动​ ​, 与 世 界 保 持 ​联 ​系 提 供 了 前 所 未 有 和 简​ 单 ​便 捷 的 方 式 。 任 何 用 ​户 都 可 以 ​创 ​作 和 ​发 ​布 微 博 , 并 附 加 多 媒 体 或 长​ ​篇 内 容 。 用 户​ ​在 微 博 上 的 关 系 可 能 是 不 对​ ​称 的 , 每 个 用 ​户 ​都 可 以 关 注 其 他 任 何 用 ​户 ​, ​对 ​任 何 一 条 微 博 ​发 ​表 ​评 论 ​并 转​ 发 ​。 微 博 ​简 单 ​、 不 ​对 ​称 和 碎 片 化 的 特点使原​创​微博能演化​为实时​的病毒式​传​播​对话​流。

About Branded

Founded in 2002 and recognised as a top 10 Event Marketing Agency by Marketing Magazine, Branded produces live media that matters, connecting businesses, brands, celebrities and fans through large and small scale events, specialising in the media, entertainment and sports industries.

Branded owns and operates the award winning “Matters” series including Sports, Online, Marketing, Gaming and Music Matters. We are Global Partners with Google on the YouTube FanFest, the world’s largest touring live celebration of online content and recently created It’s a Girl Thing, a festival designed to empower teenage girls.We excel in the conceptualisation, programming, organisation, and production of dynamic conferences, live music festivals, educational academies, and fan events globally. We are an independent company staffed by passionate multi-cultural, multi-lingual and multi-talented individuals with offices in Hong Kong and Singapore and affiliations that reach all corners of the world. Most importantly, we really enjoy making it matter for everyone we work with.

关于Branded公司

Branded​成立于​2002​年,被​“Marketing Magazine”​评为​十大活動​营销​机构之一,​专​门​从事媒体,

娱 乐 ​和 体 育 ​产 业 ​, 通 ​过 ​大 型 和 小 型 活 ​动 ​, 製 作 重 要 的 ​现 场 ​媒 体 , 连​ ​接 企 ​业 ​, 品 牌 , 名 人 和 粉 ​丝 ​。

我​们拥​有并运​营​屡获​ ​殊荣的“​Matters”​系列,包括体育,在​线​,​营销​,游​戏​和音​乐​事宜。我​们​是 Google​的全球合作伙伴并同一制作Y​ ouTube Fanfest​,全球最大​庆​祝在​线​内容的巡回​现场​活​动​, 并在 ​最近​创​建了“​It’s a Girl Thing”​,一个旨在​赋​予少女​权​力的活​动​。我​们​是全家​动态​会​议​,​现场 音 ​乐 节 ​, 教 育 学 院 和 粉 ​丝 ​活 ​动 ​的 概 念 化 , ​规 ​划 , ​组 织 ​和 制 作 方 面 表 现​ ​出 色 。 的 公 司 , ​拥 ​有 多 文 化 , 多 ​语 ​种 和 多 才 多 ​艺 ​的 人 才 , 在 香 港 和 新 加 坡 设​ ​有 办​ ​事 处​ ​, 并 且 遍 布 世 界 各 地 。 最 重 要 的 是 , 我 们 ​真 的 很 享 受 为​ ​所 有 与 我 们​ ​合 作 的 人 提 供 服 ​务 ​。

About Mission Hills Group

Mission Hills Group, owner and operator of Mission Hills resorts in the heart of the Pearl River Delta and on the tropical island of Hainan, is synonymous with leisure, wellness, entertainment and luxury.

Founded in 1992, Mission Hills is recognised as one of the world’s leading golf brands and a pioneer in China’s hospitality, sports and leisure industry. The world-class integrated leisure and wellness resort destinations have been accredited by the Guinness World Records as the “World’s Largest Golf Club” and the “World’s Largest Mineral Springs and Spa Resort”.

Mission Hills’ properties sprawl over 40 square kilometres, including 22 championship courses, five-star resorts, award-winning spas and volcanic mineral springs, international convention centres, state-of-the-art golf academies, a 20-pitch football training base, Asia’s largest basketball school and Asia’s biggest tennis facility. Mission Hills is also the official training headquarters for China’s Tennis, Football and Golf Associations.

The Group’s ‘golf and more’ leisure philosophy has seen its tourism-related business expand into shopping, recreational, business, education, entertainment, leisure and cultural experiences. MissionHillshasalsoextendeditsforayintothehospitalityindustrybypartnering with world-renowned hotel brands Hard Rock, Renaissance and Ritz-Carlton

Other significant projects include Movie Town, China’s first Wet’n’Wild water park and ground-breaking partnerships with FC Barcelona and the NBA.

For more information and latest updates, visit us at ​www.missionhillschina.com or follow Mission Hills China on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

关于观澜湖

观澜湖集团,拥有观澜湖度假区,位于中国珠三角中心区以及中国唯一的热带宝岛,海南,是一

个集休闲,保健,养生,娱乐为一体的大型休闲产业群。 创建于1992年,观澜湖被认定为世界领先的高尔夫品牌之一,也是中国休闲运动产业的领航者,

被吉尼斯世界纪录认定为“世界第一大高尔夫球会”以及“世界最大矿温泉及水疗度假区”。

观澜湖产业占地约40平方公里,拥有22个冠军球场,5星级度假区,矿温泉,及国际会议中心, 最先进的高尔夫学院,及20块足球训练基地,亚洲最大的篮球学校及亚洲最大的网球设施。观澜 湖也是中国网球,足球和高尔夫协会的官方的训练总部。

观澜湖集团的“高尔夫及多元”的理念也见证了集团不断扩大与旅游业相关的业务,如购物、康 体、商务、教育、娱乐、休闲及文化体验等领域。通过与世界知名的酒店品牌“硬石酒店”、“万 丽”、“丽思卡尔顿”等合作,观澜湖也扩大了其在酒店行业的业务。其他多元业务还包括:电影公 社,中国首家狂野水世界以及与FCB和NBA的合作。

更多详情及最新报道,请访问www.missionhillschina.com或者关注观澜湖的微信、微博、 Facebook、Instagram、LinkedIn、Twitter 以及 YouTube官方账号。

About ONE Championship

ONE Championship is the largest global sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Championship is the home of martial arts and is the world’s largest martial arts organization, hosting bouts across all styles of martial arts such as Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Silat, Sanda, Lethwei, Mixed Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do, Submission Grappling, and more.

ONE冠军赛是亚洲历史上最大的国际体育传媒公司,公司本部设于新加坡。ONE冠军赛本着回归 格斗本源的初衷将世界各种武术类型如:泰拳、体拳、跆拳道、功夫、散打、综合格斗、巴西柔 术等等展示给全世界的观众们。

About Mailman

Established in 1999, Mailman is China’s leading sports digital marketing agency. Mailman helps professional sports organizations build a successful business in China through digital strategy, social media, PR & brand activation, content production, sponsorship, ecommerce and merchandising. Mailman clients include Man Utd, Bundesliga, UFC, Kobe Bryant, NHL, Tottenham Hotspur, Juventus, NFL, Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund, Laureus and more.

关于邮人体育 成立于​1999​年的​邮​人体育已​经​成​为​了中国首屈一指的体育​营销​公司。​为​世界最有影响力的品牌, 运​动员​和运​动团队​管理其数字媒体及商​业项​目。公司服务​ ​的客​户​包括​曼联​、​托特纳姆热刺、​德甲 联赛​、​UFC​、​NHL​、科比​和康纳·麦格雷戈​等世界​级​俱​乐​部及明星运​动员​,同​时还​包括托​迈​酷客体 育等世界​级​运​动​类​品牌,​邮​人体育的主​营业务​包括数字媒体服​务​、媒体​公关​服​务​、品牌推广服​务 以及商​务​合作服​务​。


Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network

George Miller (Gyorgy Molnar) started his career in content marketing and has started working as an Editor/Content Manager for our company in 2016. George has acquired many experiences when it comes to interviews and newsworthy content becoming Head of Content in 2017. He is responsible for the news being shared on multiple websites that are part of the European Gaming Media Network.

Latest News

Female Protea Esports Team arrives safely in Malaysia.

Published

on

Reading Time: 4 minutes

The MSSA Protea Esports Team for the MLBB Esports Title has safely arrived in Malaysia. The team is proudly sporting purple, instead of green, in support of ending Gender Based Violence in South Africa.

Moments before the team landed in Malaysia, IESF had already done the draw. There are four groups of national teams and South Africa is in Group A with Malaysia and Iran.

This is, without doubt, the group of death with Team Malaysia having won the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) event at the World Esports Championship (WEC) 2024, the Protea Esports Team has an uphill battle against them. However, it is more than likely that the team that wins this group will have a good chance of winning the World Championships (WEC25).

The prize money is as follows:

MLBB Women prizes:

  1. 1st place – US$17,500.00
  2. 2nd place – US$10,500.00
  3. 3rd place – US$7,000.00

The full team is as follows:

Name Club Nick Province
Rowell Pillay (Capt.) Mavericks Ketsuka KZN
Neisha Ann Khan Mavericks Rose Western Cape
Ranya Sujee Mavericks Aewynne Gauteng
Rashmika Nanakan Mavericks DimpledDruid Gauteng
Shanel Arunachellam Mavericks Isla Gauteng

Additional reading:

  • 2025 Calendar of Events
  • AEC24 – Champions of all of Africa – Protea Female Counter Strike 2 Esports Team wins AEC24
  • AEC24 – Forged in battle – a Counter Strike story…
  • Affiliation: Private Clubs
  • Affiliation – Procedure to be followed by school clubs affiliating for the 2026 season.
  • Awards – 2024 Management Board Awards
  • Backgammon –  South African Player Reaches World Championship Final in Monte Carlo
  • Backgammon – Welcome home, Doron. You’ve inspired a nation!
  • Blog – MSSA’s blog page is ranked 9th in South Africa!
  • Board – Calling all volunteers.
  • BRICS – Breaking the glass ceiling at 2025 BRICS Esports Championships – 31 May 2025
  • BRICS – Final day of BRICS Esports Championships – 1 June 2025
  • BRICS – Luay finishes in fifth place in his group.
  • BRICS – MSSA National Team Trials for 2025 BRICS Esports Championships for TEKKEN 8 – 13 April 2025
  • BRICS – Protea Luay Khan faces toughest matches in his life.
  • BRICS – ReSF to host BRICS Esports Championship 2025 in Tekken – 28 May 2025 to 3 June 2025.
  • BRICS – Sydney ‘KYōi’ Wood wins both hearts and minds.
  • BRICS – UNIFIR3 to stream 2025 BRICS Esports Championships on 31 May – 1 June 2025.
  • BRICS – With cat-like tread…MSSA’s Protea Esports Team for Tekken 8 advances on the 2025 BRICS Esports Championships in Moscow.
  • Colours 2024 – Almost  half the awards are awarded to female gamers.
  • Colours 2024 – Athletes who have earned Senior Provincial Colours in 2024
  • Events – 6th WESTERN CAPE Online Championships – 22 February 2025
  • Events – 24th WESTERN CAPE Championships – 31 May 2025
  • Events – Last chance to qualify for BRICS Esports Championships – 14th Provincial Online Championships to be held on 5 April 2025.
  • Events – Northern Cape Online Esports Provincial Championships – 25 January 2025.
  • Events – Reminder: 5th S A Schools Online National Championships – 28 June 2025
  • Events – Types of esports events run by MSSA.
  • Fees: MSSA advises of its affiliation and registration fees for the 2024/2025 season.
  • Hosting – Hosting official Regional Championships.
  • IESF – AEC – African Regional Championships – Day 2 – Tuesday, 29 July 2025 at 17H00.
  • IESF – AEC – AFRICAN REGIONAL PLAYOFFS START TODAY FOR MSSA
  • IWSF – AEC – After an initial loss, SA beats Madagascar.
  • IESF – AEC – Female Protea Team for the Counter Strike 2 esports title to do battle against Namibia – AEC25
  • IESF – AEC – IESF’s African Regional Championships – FINAL RESULTS – Tuesday, 29 July 2025.
  • IESF – AEC – Namibia crumbles!
  • IESF – AEC – Rowell Pillay replaces Neisha Khan as captain of the female Protea MLBB esports team.
  • IESF – AEC – South Africa conquers all in MLBB…
  • IESF – AEC – South Africa granted victory with Namibia being disqualified!
  • IESF – AEC – South Africa takes to the field  in PUBGM on 28 July 2025 at 17H00.
  • IESF – AEC – South Africa to battle both Namibia and Congo on 22 July 2025.
  • IESF – AEC – South Africa vs Madagascar – 26 July 2025 at 14H00.
  • IESF – AEC – South Africa vs Namibia – 25 July 2025 at 21H00.
  • IESF – AEC – The goddess Nike smiles on – again!
  • IESF – AEC – The Titans meet – South Africa vs Madagascar – 23 July 2023
  • IESF – AEC – Victoria cum audacia! – South Africa wins!
  • IESF – AEC – Victory over Madagascar – now on to Namibia!
  • IESF – AEC – Victory without losses!
  • IESF – AEC –  WAYLANDER stream of IESF’s Southern African Regional Championships
  • IESF –  136 Nations Registered for IESF 2025 World Esports Championships.
  • IESF – IESF announces proposed game titles for 17th World Esports Championships to be held in 2025.
  • IESF – IESF Official Statement on WEC24 Prize Pool Allocation
  • IESF – MSSA CONFIRMS ITS ENTRY TO WEC25
  • IESF – Official Game Titles for 2025 IESF WEC25
  • IESF – SA Proteas to take on four African countries in MLBB – 12 April 2025
  • IESF – SA Team Trials
  • IESF – WEC25 – Female Protea Esports Team arrives safely in Malaysia.
  • IESF – WEC25 – Joy unrefined!
  • IESF – WEC25 – We all stand together!
  • International events – After defeating Madagascar, SA’s Female Proteas to take on Mauritius and Ghana..
  • International events – FHE eFootball World Tournament 2025 – Sign Up Now!
  • International events – ReSF to host BRICS Esports Championship 2025 in Tekken
  • International events – SOUTH AFRICA vs IVORY COAST in PUBGM title
  • International events – TEST MATCH – SOUTH AFRICA vs MAURITIUS in MLBB title
  • International events – Rose is no wilting bloom – the result of SA vs Mauritius.
  • International events – SA Female Protea to take on Mauritius and Madagascar in MLBB – 1 May 2025
  • International events – SA Female Team emerges triumphant!
  • International events – SA Proteas march on to fight Mauritius in MLBB on 13 April 2025 at 15H00
  • International events – SA Proteas to take on Congo in MLBB on 13 April 2025 at 13H30
  • International events – SA trounces Botswana in MLBB
  • Legal – Privacy. Who is looking after the children?
  • National Team Trials: Ensuring every athlete achieves their dreams.
  • National Team Trials – MSSA events that count for National Team Trials for 17th IESF World Championships (WEC25)
  • Nominations: Nominations are needed for 2025 AGM.
  • Nominations: Nominations required by midnight,19 November 2025 for MSSA’s Management Board Awards.
  • Phygital: 2025 MSSA PHYGITAL EBASS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – 19 – 22 NOVEMBER 2025
  • Readership: Member clubs are invited to post articles on MSSA’s blog.
  • Results – Northern Cape Online Esports Provincial Championships held on 25 January 2025.
  • Team Trials: To qualify for National Team Trials to represent South Africa.
  • Titles – Esports titles selected for all MSSA’s Premier Provincial and National Championships – 2025.
  • Titles –  Esports titles selected for all MSSA’s 2025 High School and Primary School Championships and leagues.
  • Titles – Esports titles selected for all MSSA’s 2025 Student Championships.
  • Transfers: Transfer season – 1 November 2024 to 28 February 2025
  • WADA – WADA’s 2025 Prohibited List and revised TDSSA

Jobs:

  • Legal Counsel – Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team (Brackley)

Other news: 

  • Chess – From Georgia with Love – 2018 FIDE Chess Olympiad
  • Chess – World Chess Olympiad in Batumi 2018 -n a book by Dr. Lyndon Boauh
  • Western Cape – Table tennis rulebook now available in isiXhosa

Other African News:

  • Benin – Assemblée Générale Constitutive : la Fédération Béninoise des Sports Électroniques (FBSE) mis sous les fonts baptismaux
  • Botswana – Botswana has an esports Federation

The post Female Protea Esports Team arrives safely in Malaysia. appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Continue Reading

Latest News

Mr Vegas giveaway raises cash for Sheffield Wednesday during administration crisis

Published

on

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Mr Vegas helped raise vital funds for Sheffield Wednesday after donating a VIP hospitality box for a fan raffle during last weekend’s Steel City derby against Sheffield United.

The fundraising initiative comes during one of the most challenging periods in the Owls’ 158-year history, following the club’s entry into administration and a points deduction that was yesterday extended by a further six to 18. Mr Vegas, the club’s front-of-shirt sponsor, has renewed its commitment to the club while also offering additional commercial assets to help raise vital funds.

The donated hospitality package was raffled among supporters ahead of the derby, with the winning prize going to lifelong Wednesday fan Simon and nine friends. While 3-0 home defeat was hardly what fans hoped for, the raffle raised £9,000 directly for the club.

Simon said:  “Although the result on the pitch wasn’t great, the rest of the day was excellent. We loved being in a box, going down the tunnel and pitchside. Thank you to Mr Vegas for donating this to Sheffield Wednesday.”

Marco Trucco, CMO at Mr Vegas, said the decision to step up support during the club’s darkest period was clear.

“The weight of uncertainty in moments like this falls almost entirely on the fans. As a brand, you can either step up or step back – and for us, the choice was easy. We sponsor the club, not past ownership. Sheffield Wednesday’s identity is rooted in its history and its supporters, and that’s what we choose to stand behind.

“When the club entered administration, we worked with the administrators to find practical ways to help raise funds. This included giving back several VIP boxes, hospitality tickets and other sponsorship assets so they could be raffled directly to fans.”

James Todd, Head of Commercial at Sheffield Wednesday, added: “We would like to extend a huge thank you to our Principal Partners Mr Vegas. They have offered unwavering support during an extremely difficult period for the club and we truly appreciate it.

“It’s been a pleasure working with Mr Vegas over the past couple of seasons. We are delivering strong activations and engagement both in-stadia and digitally, and their continued backing has meant a great deal to everyone connected with the club.”

Mr Vegas moved from back-of-shirt sponsor to front-of-shirt sponsor ahead of this season, renewing its partnership with the club despite the growing financial turmoil at Hillsborough. The brand has also supported a wider series of fan-led fundraising initiatives through social media promotion and ticket and hospitality raffles.

Trucco added: “Sheffield Wednesday has one of the most loyal fan bases in English football. It’s a historic club and exactly the kind of community-focused partnership that matters to us. We’ll continue to do what we can to support the club and its supporters while they work towards securing a buyer and a more stable future.”

The post Mr Vegas giveaway raises cash for Sheffield Wednesday during administration crisis appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Continue Reading

Compliance Updates

The UAE Gambling License May Become the Most Valuable to Get in 2026

Published

on

The current decade is proving truly transformative for the whole global gaming industry, given the rollout of new licensing regimes and major upgrades to already established frameworks. Many of the latest frameworks have emerged offshore, with jurisdictions such as Nevis and Tobique using low taxes, a remote application process, lower licensing fees, and light-touch oversight to secure additional budget inflows.

On the other side, “onshore” hubs, especially in Europe, are doubling down on ever-stricter oversight, making it more complex and expensive to run a gambling business from there. Quite unexpectedly, therefore, a jurisdiction where gambling has historically been prohibited by religion and criminal law moved to introduce a comprehensive licensing regime. This was literally a shock for many; only one in a million industry enthusiasts would have predicted that this country would be the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Two years ago, the UAE established the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA), the first-in-history federal regulator in the Gulf to oversee gambling across all emirates. Since then, the GCGRA is rolling out gradually, brick by brick, issuing the first few B2B vendor licenses to a select few of internationally recognized suppliers while setting B2C licensing aside and approaching it with caution.

Today, the UAE gambling regulator is authorized to grant licenses for gaming operators (a B2C gambling license issued for a casino, sports wagering, land-based gaming facilities, lottery, and lottery retailers), gaming-related vendors (B2B gambling license), and key persons (affiliates, stakeholders, and employees). Even though the GCGRA has laid down an essential foundation ahead of B2C license issuance, however, the actual B2C regulations are still developing and unavailable to the public, apart from certain provisions on responsible gaming and anti-money laundering (AML) obligations.

As of this second, just a single B2C online gaming license has been issued. Detailed rulebooks on license conditions and the scope of onsite and online gaming activities, however, are still under development and remain subject to ongoing discussion. In essence, while the sector is gradually progressing toward a formal B2C licensing regime, the key details and timing are largely unclear.

In contrast, the B2B regime is already in full swing, with over fifteen UAE gaming licenses already granted to date. The regulator made it clear to everyone that its first priority is to establish a robust B2B ecosystem of technology, payment, content, and other aggregators before opening the door for B2C companies. Considering this, early GCGRA-licensed gambling aggregators get a rare first-mover advantage: legal setup in a business hub like the UAE with privileged access to serve the first wave of B2C UAE gaming license holders (B2C) and secure an unmatched level of trust among banks, investors, and other stakeholders for meeting rigorous regulatory expectations.

With the largely untapped market potential, many industry analysts argue that the UAE gambling license could become the single most valuable license to get in the next year.

The assumption is based on the fact that the UAE always plays the long game. The country’s goal is not merely closing fiscal gaps, as is often the case with offshore jurisdictions, but to drive meaningful economic diversification, expand tourism, and compete with other global entertainment hubs – all reinforcing confidence for entering the market. What’s more, even though the framework is relatively new, the country has an impeccable track record in building high-end regimes, namely in crypto, setting a benchmark for operators and aggregators.

Yet, what truly stands out is the license scarcity: the current GCGRA framework foresees only a limited number of approvals per emirate granted to B2B operators that meet stringent regulatory, operational, and integrity thresholds. The combination of high demand and limited supply significantly amplifies the license’s commercial value, given that the future B2C operator market – projected to generate billions in annual revenue – will be exclusively served by a select pool of qualified B2B vendors.

Beyond this, the UAE’s combination of robust economy, attractive taxation, political stability, and high consumer trust sets it apart from offshore jurisdictions launching gambling licensing regimes.

Taking all factors into account, the UAE gaming license could become the new “golden standard” as one of the most respected regulatory regimes worldwide, turning into the license every operator wants to add to their portfolio. Unsurprisingly, therefore, aggregators are already preparing to move ahead with licensing, bracing for what may become one of the most scrutinized application and approval processes of all time.

With this in mind, joining the ranks of the select few UAE gambling license holders (B2B) will hinge on early, meticulous preparation of necessary documentation and specialized region-specific professional advice. Among these are qualified consultants at Inteliumlaw, a UAE local law firm with on-the-ground representatives in the country and extensive experience in supporting gambling businesses. Having spent years navigating gambling frameworks and establishing relations with regulators, Inteliumlaw is emerging as a top legal partner for operators looking to capitalize on what is set to become the most valuable licensing opportunity of 2026: the UAE gaming license.

Continue Reading

Trending

EEGaming.org is part of HIPTHER, parent brand of various prominent news outlets and international conferences. These platforms and events span a wide range of industries, including Entertainment, Technology, Gaming and Gambling, Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, Fintech, Quantum Technology, Legal Cannabis, Health and Lifestyle, VR/AR, eSports, and several others. This indicates that EEGaming.org is part of a larger network that focuses on a diverse array of sectors, particularly those related to cutting-edge technology and modern lifestyle trends.

Contact us: [email protected]

Editorial / PR Submissions: [email protected]

Copyright © 2015 - 2025 HIPTHER. All Rights Reserved. Registered in Romania under Proshirt SRL, Company number: 2134306, EU VAT ID: RO21343605. Office address: Blvd. 1 Decembrie 1918 nr.5, Targu Mures, Romania

We are constantly showing banners about important news regarding events and product launches. Please turn AdBlock off in order to see these areas.