Gaming equipment supplier RGB International Bhd has been granted a gaming-related vendor licence in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). That is according to comments by RGB executive director Ganaser Kaliappen, cited by The Edge Malaysia newspaper.
“This effectively enables us to operate as an approved vendor for the supply of machines, as well as related services and maintenance in the region,” Mr Kaliappen said at RGB International’s earnings briefing on Wednesday, per the report.
The permit was awarded by the UAE’s General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA).
The GCGRA issued its first gaming-related vendor licence in October last 2024. So far, 22 companies have been awarded a gaming-related vendor licence in the country, per the regulator’s website.
The GCGRA, established in September 2023, is the entity overseeing commercial gaming activities in the Middle East nation.
So far, there is only one licensed casino operator in the UAE. That is casino firm Wynn Resorts Ltd, which is developing with local partners the Wynn Al Marjan Island casino resort in Ras Al Khaimah, one of the emirates.
Wynn Resorts management said in April that it expects the current conflict in the Middle East to lead to a “modest delay” in the opening of the Wynn Al Marjan project.
The US$5.1-billion property – in which Wynn Resorts has a 40-percent equity stake – had been marked for a spring-2027 opening.
RGB’s Mr Kaliappen reportedly said in Wednesday’s briefing, referring to the Wynn-branded resort: “While operations are still some time away, it puts us in a good position to build relationships and explore future business opportunities, whether in machines, services or related offerings.”
RGB’s chief operating officer for leisure, Chuah Eng Meng, was quoted as saying in the meeting that the firm expected sale of machines to reach around 3,500 to 3,800 units this year, were it not for the geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, and tensions between casino-jurisdiction Cambodia and its neighbour Thailand.
Mr Chuah stated, referring to interest in Asia-Pacific casino jurisdictions: “We are seeing demand from the Philippines and are also in discussions with Vietnam.”
He added : “We are also seeing demand from Cambodia, where casinos are looking to lease machines from us, although we are not looking to open new outlets at this point”.
RGB recently reported first-quarter profit attributable to the owners amounting to MYR9.1 million (US$2.3 million), on revenue that rose 18.8 percent year-on-year, to nearly MYR87.4 million.
