UAE Gaming Regulator and ADGM’s FSRA Sign Regulatory Cooperation Agreement

The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Abu Dhabi Global Market has signed a memorandum of understanding with the UAE’s General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority, creating a formal channel for the two regulators to exchange information and coordinate on matters where their responsibilities meet. The agreement covers supervisory cooperation, policy discussions and investigative assistance, subject to applicable law and confidentiality requirements.

The document does not transfer powers between the authorities or place one under the other. ADGM said each regulator will retain its independent statutory mandate. The FSRA supervises financial services in the Abu Dhabi financial center, while the GCGRA is the federal body with exclusive authority to license, regulate and supervise commercial gaming across the UAE. The arrangement is therefore a cooperation mechanism rather than a joint licensing regime.

Information exchange is likely to be the agreement’s most practical element. A gaming operator or supplier may interact with banks, payment providers, investors, insurers or other financial businesses, even when the gaming activity itself falls outside the FSRA’s remit. Clear communication between regulators can help each authority assess conduct within its own jurisdiction, identify overlapping risks and avoid gaps when a case involves entities or transactions that cross sector boundaries.

Separate Mandates with Shared Risk Areas

The GCGRA was established under Federal Decree-Law No. 30 of 2022 and describes itself as an independent executive entity within the federal government. Its jurisdiction covers internet gaming, sports wagering and land-based gaming facilities. The authority states that conducting or facilitating commercial gaming without a GCGRA license is illegal, and its remit extends to operators, certain employees and third-party suppliers serving the sector.

The federal regulator’s public register shows that the licensed market is no longer theoretical. Its current licensee list names The Game LLC as operator of the UAE Lottery and Island 3 AMI FZ-LLC, doing business as Wynn Al Marjan, as a land-based gaming licensee. It also identifies several gaming-related vendors. The register provides a useful boundary for readers: inclusion confirms GCGRA authorization, while a commercial presence in the UAE alone does not.

Regulatory information sharing is one area in which the authorities’ responsibilities may intersect. The GCGRA supervises compliance across the commercial gaming sector, while the FSRA oversees regulated financial services within ADGM. The memorandum establishes a framework for supervisory coordination, policy discussions and investigative assistance, while allowing each authority to retain its separate statutory mandate.

The Scope and Limits of the Agreement

The immediate change is procedural: officials now have an agreed framework through which to communicate and cooperate.

Emmanuel Givanakis, Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of ADGM, said: “Effective collaboration between regulators is fundamental to preserving market integrity, addressing emerging risks and ensuring that regulatory frameworks evolve alongside innovation. As financial services and adjacent sectors become increasingly interconnected, close cooperation between competent authorities enhances our collective ability to support responsible growth while maintaining the highest standards of governance, transparency and consumer protection.”

The GCGRA remains the sole UAE authority responsible for licensing commercial gaming, while the FSRA continues to authorize and supervise financial services conducted in or from ADGM. Under the memorandum, both regulators retain their independent statutory mandates while coordinating on supervision, policy discussions, investigative assistance and the exchange of regulatory information.

The announcement marks an institutional step in the UAE’s oversight of commercial gaming. The GCGRA states that unlicensed gaming is illegal and may expose operators and participants to penalties. Licensed operators must also provide safeguards such as deposit limits, cooling-off periods and self-exclusion options under the authority’s regulatory framework.

The memorandum adds a defined route for cooperation at a time when the GCGRA is building oversight of a relatively new federal regulatory field and the FSRA is supervising a growing financial-services population. The FSRA reported that it issued 95 Financial Services Permissions and 120 in-principle approvals in 2025, increases of 22% and 32%, respectively. Its 2025 annual report announcement also recorded five new memoranda of understanding during that year, showing that regulator-to-regulator agreements are an established part of its supervisory approach.