Endorphina secures UAE gaming vendor licence
Table of contents
- Endorphina has received a Gaming-Related Vendor Licence (Tier II) from the UAE’s regulatory authority GCGRA.
- The approval places Endorphina among the first group of international gaming suppliers licensed by the GCGRA since the authority began building out the UAE’s regulated commercial gaming market.
- The GCGRA, established in 2023, has expanded its licensed vendor pool ahead of the anticipated 2027 opening of Wynn Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah.
Endorphina, the Prague-based online slot supplier, has been granted a Gaming-Related Vendor Licence (Tier II) by the United Arab Emirates’ General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA).
The approval, announced in early May 2026, enables the company to supply gaming products and services across the Emirates under the GCGRA’s compliance and oversight framework.
The licence places Endorphina among a growing list of international B2B suppliers authorised to serve the UAE market. The GCGRA is a federal authority with exclusive jurisdiction over all commercial gaming activities in the country.
Established in 2023, it has overseen the licensing of a growing roster of gaming-related vendors as the market takes shape.
What the Tier II licence covers
Under the GCGRA’s licensing structure, a Gaming-Related Vendor Licence applies to companies supplying gaming equipment or related goods and services to licensed operators. Endorphina is authorised to provide its gaming products and related services to UAE-licensed partners.
The licence is granted subject to continued adherence to GCGRA regulations, conditions, and directives. Endorphina confirmed the UAE approval supports its broader strategy of expanding across regulated markets globally.
Džangar Jesenov, Head of Compliance at Endorphina, described the approval as a milestone for the company.
“Over the past years, Endorphina has grown into a truly reputable, internationally recognised supplier, following a principle of gradual and sustainable development. Today, in terms of the number of jurisdictions where we are authorised to operate, we are proud to be ranked among the top providers worldwide.
“Receiving this licence in the early stages of the UAE’s regulated gaming market is both an honour and a responsibility. We are excited to contribute to shaping a sustainable and innovative industry under the guidance of the GCGRA.”
A growing supplier pool
Endorphina’s approval is part of the GCGRA’s accelerating pace of vendor licensing. The latest round of approvals also includes IGT, geolocation provider GeoComply, and UK-based roulette wheel developer Cammegh.
Aristocrat was among the first international vendors licensed, in October 2024. Since then, the GCGRA has authorised a wide range of gaming technology companies including Novomatic, Konami, Light & Wonder, Scientific Games, Sportradar, TCS John Huxley, Fennica Gaming, and payments provider PayBy. Publicly announced GCGRA gaming-related vendor licences now number more than 20.
GCGRA CEO Kevin Mullally has, in public remarks, encouraged suppliers to lead with innovation rather than design products around existing regulatory frameworks, stating the regulator’s ambition is to build a system that adapts to creativity rather than constrains it.
Market context: Wynn resort anchors the timeline
The land-based market is anchored by Wynn Resorts, which holds the UAE’s first commercial casino operator licence. The company is developing a $5.1 billion integrated resort on Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah, targeted to open in the first quarter of 2027.
On the online side, Play971 became the UAE’s first licensed iGaming platform in late November 2025. The platform holds both internet gaming and sports wagering licences from the GCGRA and is operated by Coin Technology Projects LLC, linked to Momentum, which also runs the UAE Lottery.
For a slot-focused B2B supplier such as Endorphina, the Tier II vendor approval secures early positioning in a jurisdiction that has drawn considerable operator and investor attention.
The UAE’s emergence as a regulated destination is part of a wider global trend of suppliers — from content library deals on major platforms to new jurisdiction entries — racing to establish footholds before key markets reach capacity.
As the GCGRA continues to build the regulatory and technical stack for the 2027 resort opening, the window for suppliers to establish early relationships with licensed UAE operators continues to narrow.
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