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Home / Features / MGM CEO Remains Optimistic For 2028 Resort Opening Despite Delays

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MGM CEO Remains Optimistic For 2028 Resort Opening Despite Delays

Bill Hornbuckle, the CEO of MGM Resorts, has said that the company expects its beachfront resort in Dubai to open in 2028 as was scheduled. This comes even though the UAE government has not fully granted it a license for its casino.

The gambling sector in the UAE is in a very interesting place. While the country is not considered a typical hub for gambling activities, the demand for it is clear. This is especially evident when you consider the use of online platforms to access gambling services. As a recent article from CardPlayer explains, UAE casinos online are seeing record use from consumers who want to play everything from classic titles to modern crash games.

Even tourists to the country want to enjoy the same services they may find outside, and this is driving the demand. Based on this, MGM believes that its $2.5 billion resort will be a hit, especially when it comes to the casino. The project certainly seems ambitious, as it will be built on a man-made island near the Palm Jumeirah and will include the MGM Grand, Aria Hotels, the Bellagio, and much more.

But Hornbuckle spoke at a recent business conference and said that he thought that the license would have been granted by now.

“I thought by now, Abu Dhabi would have ruled on what they were doing. There’s a lot of dialogue around that,” he said.

The company first applied for its casino license in 2024 with the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA). Approval for this license would have to come from the government within Abu Dhabi and also the individual Emirati rulers. But even as MGM is waiting for approval, it is seeing a lot of competition. Wynn Resorts, for example, plans to open its own casino in 2027, and this will be the only one within the country.

Once these titans of the industry set up shop, it's expected to bring in billions of dollars in revenue. Considering the amounts of money that even individual states in countries like the U.S. report from gambling, it's clear that there is reason to be optimistic.

But even with this, it's important not to create a monopoly for a single company but instead, provide opportunities for both international and local producers to thrive. Hornbuckle has said that one of the structures, a 250,000-square-foot podium, is already built and ready to be turned into a casino once the company receives the license.

“We don’t have permission yet from the ruler of Dubai to go forward, but I do believe this […] If this gets a casino, and I believe it will over time, we think it’s a massive opportunity,” he said.

Hopefully, both MGM and other companies can penetrate the UAE gambling sector in the next few years. It will mean that tourists and locals can get their needs met, as well as generating employment and tax revenue for the state.

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