DUBAI – The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is taking a decisive legal step toward a regulated gaming market by quietly removing gambling and betting provisions from its Civil Code. This move signals that the Emirates’ gaming strategy is transitioning from “high-level vision” to “legislative implementation,” carving out legal space for the dedicated commercial gaming regime set to launch in June 2026.
Legal Housekeeping: Out with the Old, In with the New
Under the UAE’s new Civil Transactions Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025), the civil code will no longer contain the stand-alone section that previously addressed gambling and betting disputes. The new law is scheduled to take effect on June 1, 2026.
- The Repealed Section: The current (soon-to-be-replaced) Federal Law No. 5 of 1985 includes Articles 1012 to 1021, which specifically handle gambling debts, claims, and the recovery of losses.
- The Shift: In the new 2025 Civil Transactions Law, these provisions have been entirely removed. Legal analysis from Greenberg Traurig highlights that the new code does not carry these gambling/betting provisions forward.
Strategic Intent: Empowering the GCGRA
This “scrubbing” is not a sign of the UAE loosening its stance on unauthorized gambling. Instead, it is a precise act of legal housekeeping to avoid regulatory overlap.
- Exclusive Jurisdiction: The UAE has established the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) as the sole federal executive authority to regulate, license, and supervise commercial gaming activities.
- A Clean Split: By removing gambling from the general civil code, the UAE is achieving a cleaner separation: general principles remain in the civil code, while gaming-specific rules are housed under the GCGRA. This ensures that licensed activities operate under a modern, compliant framework rather than broad 40-year-old civil statutes.
“The UAE is effectively simplifying its legal landscape. This is a clear signal that commercial gaming will no longer be viewed as a general civil dispute matter, but as a highly regulated, stand-alone industry with its own compliance standards.” — Xingbow Legal Analysis
Future Outlook: Further Legal “Tidying”
As the June 2026 deadline approaches, industry observers expect the UAE to undertake further legislative updates. This may include amending criminal statutes to ensure harmony between federal law and the GCGRA’s licensing requirements.
Once the new Civil Transactions Law takes effect, the UAE’s civil code will no longer define how gambling claims are treated. Instead, all such activities will be governed directly by the GCGRA’s specialized licensing and compliance protocols.
