Yolo Group has secured gaming vendor licenses in the United Arab Emirates for two of its subsidiaries, namely Hub88 Holdings and Live Online Gaming Services. This comes only a few weeks after the company announced that it is undergoing a major transformation in its business and aiming to expand in the highly promising market in the Middle East.
Yolo Group doubles down further on the Middle East
Thanks to these new licenses, Yolo Group will be able to deliver online gaming content to any entity that has been regulated under the existing framework in the United Arab Emirates and authorized by the regulator, the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority, to offer remote gaming.
Live88, which is a live casino studio, has become among the very first to be granted such a license in the United Arab Emirates, marking an important milestone for the company as it seeks to sever any ties to grey markets and focus fully on regulated jurisdictions instead. A full list of the available licenses can be found on the regulator’s official page here.
While the UAE’s iGaming scope appears limited, Yolo Group’s move in the region indicates that there are big changes brewing underneath the apparent calm. Commenting on the opportunity, Yolo Group founder Tim Heath noted:
"Obtaining these licences in the UAE is more than a regulatory achievement. It is a statement of intent. Yolo Group is committed to building the future of gaming on trust, transparency, and world-class innovation. The UAE is setting the stage for what modern, regulated gaming should look like, and we are proud to be part of that journey."
Yolo is hopeful that the UAE is building further into the digital sector
Heath similarly volunteered that there may indeed be bigger change afoot in the Middle East, and hazarded a guess: "I think, and I hope, that the UAE’s progress is part of a larger regional shift. Across the GCC countries are now actively exploring how to engage with the gaming and digital assets world."
He also spoke highly of the opportunity to obtain the license, and specifically how regulation builds trust and reassures players, partners, and investors that the businesses are committed to safety. Because of that trust, companies can innovate and achieve much more meaningful and impactful things, Heath further noted.
