developing new tools and strategies to increase our effectiveness. We’ve established a Grievances Committee with defined appeal procedures to ensure procedural fairness. Te legitimacy of any regulatory system rests on its fairness, consistency, and alignment with valid policy objectives.


What are the GCGRA’s priorities for responsible gaming?


Responsible gaming is a foundational pillar of the industry's development in the UAE. Our framework prioritises public health, informed decision-making, and harm minimisation, and is deeply integrated into every stage of licensure, supervision, and enforcement. We have adopted a comprehensive Responsible Gaming Framework rooted in 10 core principles: stakeholder collaboration, player empowerment, access control, informed choice, and continuous improvement. Every licensed operator is required to submit and annually update a Responsible Gaming Program aligned with this framework, which must be approved by the GCGRA before operations commence. Te goal is not simply to check boxes but to build a culture of positive play, where licensees, communities, and regulators share responsibility for promoting a safe and enjoyable gaming environment.


Key components of our responsible gaming approach include: u


Mandatory player protection tools include deposit limits, time limits, cooling-off periods, normative feedback, and reality checks.


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A national Voluntary Self-Exclusion (VSE) program, which allows individuals to self-exclude from all licensed platforms across the UAE, with operators required to enforce the restrictions, remove players from marketing lists, and deny wagers and winnings.


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Staff training requirements to ensure frontline employees can identify early warning signs of gaming-related harm and provide appropriate guidance or referrals.


u


Mandatory education and awareness campaigns to address cognitive distortions, such as the illusion of control or gambler’s fallacy, and to ensure players understand the odds, rules, and risks of games they play.


u


A dedicated UAE Responsible Gaming Alliance, launched by the GCGRA, that brings together regulators, operators, clinicians, researchers, and community leaders to align efforts, share data, and coordinate mental health resources and public education.


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Licensees are required to maintain a Player Behaviour Incident Register, track escalations, and report annually on


90


the effectiveness of their responsible gaming efforts, including evidence-based KPIs.


Finally, we treat responsible gaming as a dynamic and evolving area. Te Office of Socially Responsible Gaming (OSRG) leads our research, innovation, and international cooperation efforts, ensuring our standards remain aligned with global best practices while tailored to the UAE’s cultural and legal environment. By integrating harm prevention into the design, delivery, and oversight of commercial gaming, we reduce reliance on downstream interventions and create a regulatory system that prioritises prevention, education, and recovery.


How will minors and vulnerable individuals be protected under the GCGRA’s regulations?


Protection of vulnerable populations is central to our mission. We require:


u


Carefully designed age verification integrated with national digital ID systems,


u


Game design controls that avoid features known to increase harm,


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Marketing restrictions enforced by our Advertising Review Team, including prohibiting targeting minors or at-risk individuals.


We’ve also adopted normative feedback tools, helping players understand how their behavior compares to responsible play benchmarks, turning data into insight, and insight into action.


Will there be a consumer grievance or protection mechanism?


Absolutely. We are committed to ensuring players have a voice and recourse. Our grievance framework allows for both operator-level resolution and direct escalation to the Authority. We also enhance public accessibility through a bilingual online portal and clear procedural timelines. Te aim is not simply to resolve disputes, but to use them to improve systems, raise standards, and strengthen accountability across the market.


Is the consumer grievance framework similar to what you see in other regulated markets or are there subtle differences?


In many respects, our consumer grievance framework aligns with what you might see in other well-regulated markets. It is


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