Best online casinos in UAE (2025)
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a country located at the northeast end of the Arabian Peninsula and consists of seven emirates; namely, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah and Al Quwain. Every type of online gambling is banned in those territories. However, UAE players love to gamble and a growing number of them are showing interest in international online casinos in recent years. This is due to the variety of slots, the abundance of bonuses and the fast payouts with the AED currency that several of them offer. On top of that, there are some that allow locals to gamble in the Arabic language too. So, read our analysis to find the online casino in the UAE that suits you best.
Trusted UAE online casinos
The following list contains the most trusted online casinos in the UAE. These casinos contain a lot of slots & games by reputable software providers and offer secure transactions via well-known payment methods. Feel free to check them all and opt for the one that suits you best.
How we rate the best online casinos in UAE
We have singled out several legitimate offshore online casinos in UAE by considering their most important features. These are the following:
Great bonuses
In a UAE online casino, you will receive attractive bonuses and promos. The most important bonus in every casino site is the welcome offer which usually combines a matched bonus with free spins (i.e. 200% bonus up to AED 600 + 50 free spins). Apart from that, there are also plenty of other great offers such as reload bonuses, free spins, exclusive no deposit bonuses and loyalty bonuses. Whatever bonus you choose, it should be mentioned that almost always it comes with wagering requirements to cash out your winnings (e.g. rollover bonus x35 within a week).
Licensed by reputable authorities
All forms of online gambling in UAE are not allowed based on the country’s traditions. So, there is no local gambling regulator. On the other hand, many offshore online casinos featured in our list have received licenses from global regulators. So UAE players who opt for an international online casino with a global license can rest assured that they will play in a safe gambling environment. In these casino sites, locals will find proper KYC policies, clear T&Cs and responsible gambling mechanisms, among others.
Wide variety of slots
International online casinos are dominant in the variety, validity and HD graphics of slots and games that they offer. Our list for the UAE includes those that offer all popular slots and table games such as roulette, blackjack, and baccarat. Additionally, in them, you can easily find and enjoy 750+ slots on average feeling safe about your winnings and your withdrawals.
Top-level software providers
The best online casino sites are filled with many reputable providers which accept players from the UAE and allow them to play lots of games. In order to choose whether an online casino site is among the best or not, you can simply check the providers they partner with to deliver their slots. The online casinos featured in our list offer plenty of slots providers, including industry leaders like NetEnt, Microgaming and Play ‘n GO.
UAE Dirham (AED) availability
If уоu сhооѕе tо wаgеr уоur mоnеу аt аn оnlіnе саѕіnо thаt ѕuрроrtѕ уоur lосаl сurrеnсу, іn thіѕ саѕе the АЕD, you will benefit a lot. More specifically, you won’t be charged with аnу trаnѕасtіоn fееѕ on your deposits and withdrawals. In addition, any mоnеу trаnѕfеr іs gоіng tо bе much faster аnd уоu will ѕаvе valuable tіmе аѕ thе рrосеѕѕіng tіmе wіll bе ѕhоrtеr. Thus, international online casinos that offer AED payments are for sure among the best.
Arabic language
Another important feature of a top online casino is to offer its website in the local language. The casino sites featured in our list are offshore sites and some of them have their websites’ translated into many languages, such as Arabic. Locals will even find casinos with Arabic-speaking agents. As a result, a local player is able to play in his native language and communicate in a convenient way when it is needed in order to resolve an issue.
How do online casinos in UAE operate
Running an online casino in UAE is considered a crime, according to the local Cyber Crimes Law. The law also applies to players, who can be fined or receive jail time. Operators without a license are also facing criminal charges, specifically after the 2012 special degree issues to prevent local players from playing on online sites.
Taking into consideration the fact that online gambling in UAE is forbidden, there are no local online casinos. However, there is an array of international operators that local players can choose from. The local authorities will only apply taxes on UAE players’ regular income, which is money they earn from investments, salary and other business profits. Thus, the majority of people choose not to declare this income, as doing so could put them at risk.
The gambling status in Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Among the 7 emirates, Dubai and Abu Dhabi are the largest cities. These two Emirates are very popular among tourists and host very rich foreign citizens. Those citizens love gambling at casinos. Locals though do not have the chance to legally gamble there, since it is totally forbidden. So, apparently, there are no legal land-based casinos. However, since our listed casino sites are offshore ones, a local player is able to gamble at an international online casino in Dubai, as well as in Abu Dhabi. It is also worth noting that, for casino enthusiasts, there is a chance to find a cruise ship and go for a short sea trip and gamble onboard. Nonetheless, there is nothing compared to the safety and convenience of online casinos.
Are casinos in UAE legal?
By choosing to opt for offshore casinos that boast a license while being in the United Arab Emirates; you can rest assured that their safeguarding rules will make your experience secure. Since it is officially illegal to gamble at an online casino in UAE, local players should take care to use only payment methods that will keep them secure and won’t disclose their personal details. Otherwise, the local police will catch them for illegal activity. That is the reason why the anonymity that e-wallets offer as a payment method should be taken into serious consideration.
How to deposit at a UAE online casino
The first step a UAE player should take is to search for a secure payment method for their transaction. As it is officially illegal to gamble online, players should use only those payment methods which will protect their activity and their winnings. So, finding a payment method that preserves your anonymity should be your top priority. E-wallets, such as Skrill, Neteller and Payeer, can be a perfect solution for UAE players to make fast, secured and anonymous gambling transactions in the country. Local players can also opt for vouchers (e.g. Paysafecard) on offshore sites. Crypto payments, such as Bitcoin, are an excellent way to complete your transactions if you wish to maintain your anonymity.
The future of online gambling in UAE
It is clear that online gambling is not likely to become legal in the UAE anytime in the near future. The country’s culture will not help online gambling become legal; at least anytime soon. Really the only option a local player has when it comes to gambling is to join one of the numerous international online casinos that accept players from the UAE. With the country expected to keep its firm stance against online gambling, there’s little hope that a regulated market will ever be formed in the region.
It is not legal to gamble in the UAE as all forms of gambling are prohibited. That is why you won't find any local casino in the UAE. Despite that, it is still possible to play online casino games by joining an international casino site (which is not based in the UAE) that accepts players from this region.
Almost all the top international online casinos accepting players from the UAE offer a mobile version. Mobile casinos come in one of two ways: as an app for iOs and Android devices, or as a website version on a browser.
Since all online gambling activity is banished, UAE players’ safety comes first. As a basic safety measure, it would be recommended to play at an international online casino registered in decent jurisdictions and choose deposit options like e-wallets and cryptos.
Since online gambling in UAE is prohibited, there is no legal gambling age in this country. However, offshore online casinos will not accept any registrations from anyone under 18 years of age.
Since the UAE bans any form of gambling, there is no specific form of taxation that applies to potential winnings deriving from online casinos. Therefore, local players choose not to declare their profits, as doing so would put them at risk of criminal prosecution.
While it is not common to see international online casinos offering deposits and withdrawals in dirham (AED), there are some sites that indeed offer this currency. That depends on the given online casino, as some sites will only have a limited selection of currencies for you to use.
In a UAE online casino players should use only deposit methods that will keep their personal data private. Payments such as Skrill, Neteller, Payeer, Paysafecard and cryptocurrencies are all available when it comes to offshore online casinos.