UAE regulator’s executive team revealed as first lottery licence handed out

The General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) has awarded the United Arab Emirates’ first national lottery contract to The Game LLC.

In turn, The Game, which is the first business to be licensed by the GCGRA, will be tasked with offering a variety of lottery games and will operate as the UAE Lottery.

The GCGRA has described The Game as “a commercial gaming operator specialising in game development, lottery operations and gaming-related content”.

There is plenty still to be clarified, including when The Game plans to launch its lottery operation, given it is yet to issue any sort of comment on being awarded the licence, while regulations governing the UAE Lottery are not yet available.

The Game is a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi-based mobile games development company Momentum. It is expected to pay a licence fee and boast the rights to operate for the next 10 years.

The GCGRA is the UAE’s federal regulator and was established in September 2023. At the time of its inception, only the chairman Jim Murren (former MGM Resorts International boss) and CEO Kevin Mullally were named as key figures.

However, the regulator’s website now outlines every prominent member of both the board of directors and executive management off the back of its biggest decision to date in handing The Game the UAE lottery licence.

The decision to award The Game the first licence also sees the UAE’s existing lottery operators, Emirates Draw and Mahzooz, miss out.

Speaking on the decision to give the first licence to The Game, Mullally said: “The GCGRA is steadfast in its commitment to global best practices in consumer protection and regulatory oversight.

“Our regulatory framework is designed to ensure the integrity, fairness and transparency of commercial gaming activities in the UAE, which include lottery games.

“It also provides consumers with a comprehensive set of tools to monitor and manage their gaming activity. Additionally, we are leveraging new technologies to foster the creation of safe, entertaining games and drive consumer-focused innovation.”

Having handed out its first lottery licence, the regulator also has the scope to regulate igaming, sports betting and land-based casinos in the Emirates.

Here, EGR details who’s who at the GCGRA, including Murren and a host of other sector and financial execs.

Board of directors

Jim Murren, chairman: Murren brings extensive experience to the role and has held C-suite titles at a number of different organisations.

He is the former chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International, where he managed a workforce of 75,000, having guided the company through the 2008 financial crisis.

Murren also serves as the chairman and CEO of the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection as well as co-chairman at Cirque du Soleil, after also spearheading Nevada’s Covid-19 Response, Relief, and Recovery Task Force.

Chris O’Donnell, vice-chairman: O’Donnell has three decades’ worth of investment and real estate experience in both the UAE and Australia, having previously served as CEO for several major firms such as Nakheel Properties and Emaar Developments.

Nicholas Casiello Jr, board member: Retired attorney Casiello has 40 years’ worth of experience in gaming law. He has previously led Fox Rothschild’s gaming practice, he co-founded International Masters of Gaming Law (IMGL) and serves as a member of the International Association of Gaming Advisors (IAGA).

William Grounds, board member: Grounds has previously been a board member of MGM Resorts International and is a director at PointsBet. He is the ex-president and COO of Dubai-owned Infinity World Development Corp.

Mark Lipparelli, board member: A prominent figure within the US gaming industry, Lipparelli was once the chair of the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) and remains the chairman of Galaxy Gaming and casino operator Golden Entertainment.

Giovanni Lega, board member: Lega is the founder and managing partner at LCA, a law firm that has been involved in high-value M&A, real estate and gaming deals.

John Kelly, board member: A similar profile to Lega, Kelly is partner at London-based law firm Harbottle & Lewis and has represented major international football clubs, players, owners, managers and agents as well as sports governing bodies.

Executive management

Kevin Mullally, CEO: The GCGRA’s chief executive is a seasoned veteran of the gaming industry.

Before his appointment as GCGRA CEO, Mullally was the general counsel of Gaming Laboratories International (GLI), where he was the primary liaison to elected and appointed officials.

Previously, Mullally was the executive director of the Missouri Gaming Commission and in 1995 wrote and implemented the world’s first self-exclusion programme after consulting for governments globally to assist in developing, studying and implementing gaming policies.

Ahmed Barakat, COO: The bulk of Barakat’s previous experience comes in the financial sector, having held roles at Credit Suisse and Merrill Lynch.

Leina ElBarasi, CFO: Before joining the GCGRA, ElBarasi served as head of budgeting and planning for Abu Dhabi Media Company.

Manuela Croci, chief of supervisions, investigations, FCP: The ex-head of internal audit and compliance at the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development.

Ourouba El Arab, general counsel and board secretary: Much like Croci, El Arab also spent time at the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development as well as a stint with First Abu Dhabi Bank.

Dina Helal, chief human resources officer: Another prominent GCGRA figure with a wealth of experience working in the financial sector, Helal also worked at First Abu Dhabi Bank as senior vice-president and head of employee relations and policies.

Carlos Gutierrez, chief information officer: Ex-general manager for TEC Evolution Technology Systems, a solutions provider for a variety of sectors, including aerospace, healthcare and banking.

Arnold Ash is EGR’s Executive Recruitment Partner. They support ambitious organisations to identify and attract industry leading executive talent. Find out more here.