The United Arab Emirates is adding a former Missouri attorney to its gaming regulatory team
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) may not be ready to officially announce the opening of casinos. But it does seem to be moving in that direction. The new General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) continues to expand, recently adding a retired Missouri attorney.
Ed Aylward announced his upcoming move to GCGRA via a post on his LinkedIn account on Monday. He listed his role as head of investigations, a position he assumed in October.
Aylward retired from the Missouri State Highway Patrol last year after 30 years on the job. In addition to conducting comprehensive background checks, his responsibilities with the department include background checks on licensees, vendors and vendors.
UAE quickly establishes gambling regulator
GCGRA is the sole authority responsible for controlling, authorizing, monitoring and regulating gambling activities in the UAE. Recently, the company has carefully expanded its staff to include a game coordination specialist and a talent acquisition and management manager.
The latest to join the group is Ian Tannock, former head of responsible gaming at JOI Gaming Ltd in the Netherlands. It is the online division of JVH Gaming & Entertainment Group, which operates brands such as Jack’s Casino and Flamingo Casino.
Tannock joined GCGRA in August, according to his LinkedIn profile. He is part of a team that also includes Director of Communications and Marketing Colin Espiner, former Director of Communications at SkyCity Entertainment and Advisor to the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Abu Dhabi.
The growing list of regulators also includes Myriam Dimitri as head of talent management, acquisitions and organizational design. Serena Paul is another new hire who will join in October as HR business partner.
Former MGM Resorts International CEO Jim Murren is now Chairman of GCGRA, while Kevin Mulally serves as CEO. He and Aylward may have crossed paths more than once, and Mulally served on the Missouri Gaming Commission for 12 years. He serves as Managing Director of nearly half a dozen of these companies.
Dubai welcomes China
There have been rumors that MGM may make history by becoming the "first casino operator in Dubai", one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates. It has a close relationship with Wasl Hospitality and Leisure, having opened an MGM hotel there two years ago.
It was reported that Dubai subsequently decided to shelve its casino plans. Other emirates, notably Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah, continue to press ahead.
A new report out of Dubai may suggest that the emirate is simply buying itself some time.Meed, which calls itself "the world's leading source of business intelligence on the Middle East," reported on Tuesday that Dubai is set to join China.
Specifically, Wasl has awarded a major contract to Chinese real estate development company China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC). The Beijing-based company will receive 4.4 billion UAE dirhams ($1.2 billion) to expand The Island, a project that will theoretically include MGM, Bellagio and Aria hotels brand.
The contract is the largest awarded in Dubai in five years. This is close to the $1.36 billion contract awarded to a local contractor in 2017 for the One Za’beel Tower project.
China State Construction Engineering Corporation is the world's largest construction company and is involved in projects in Iraq, Egypt, Bosnia, Nicaragua and other countries. It has also been the subject of several scandals, at least one of which occurred in the United States, and was placed on the World Bank's corruption and fraud blacklist a decade ago.
This is the same company that former President Donald Trump hired to build the Trump World Golf Club in Dubai.
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Source: www.casino.org
