Is it Legal to Play the Lottery in UAE?

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It's a question that's been asked a lot over the past couple of years — and the answer has changed significantly. The short answer is: yes, it is now legal to play the lottery in the UAE, provided you do so through a licensed and regulated operator. Here's the full picture.

The Historical Position on Gambling in the UAE

For most of its modern history, gambling in all forms was prohibited in the UAE. As a Muslim-majority country operating under Islamic law principles, activities such as casino gaming, sports betting and lotteries were illegal for residents and visitors alike. Unauthorised gambling could result in fines or criminal penalties under Federal Law.

There were some limited exceptions — Dubai Duty Free's Millennium Millionaire and Big Ticket Abu Dhabi operated in grey areas as raffle-style draws tied to retail purchases at airports, and they became widely popular among expats and tourists over the years. However, these operated without a formal national regulatory framework for commercial gaming.

The 2023 Regulatory Change — A New Legal Framework

The landscape changed substantially in 2023 when the UAE federal government enacted Federal Decree-Law No. 4 of 2023 on Commercial Gaming. This landmark legislation created a formal legal framework for regulated gaming activities in the country for the first time.

As part of this, the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) was established — the UAE's official body responsible for licensing and overseeing all commercial gaming operators. The GCGRA is responsible for issuing licences, setting standards, and ensuring that all authorised operators comply with the law.

This was a significant moment. It signalled a deliberate shift in policy, bringing the UAE in line with other regulated gaming markets around the world while maintaining strict controls over who can operate and under what conditions.

The Launch of Legal Lottery Play

Following the establishment of the GCGRA, the first federally licensed lottery launched in the UAE in late 2024. The UAE Lottery became the country's first fully regulated national lottery, offering a range of draw-based games including:

• Lucky Day — a weekly draw where players pick numbers for a chance at a jackpot prize
• Pick 3 — a daily numbers game with multiple ways to win
• Pick 4 — similar to Pick 3 but with a four-digit format and larger prize potential

Alongside the UAE Lottery, both Big Ticket Abu Dhabi and Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire received formal GCGRA authorisation, bringing their long-running raffle-style draws into the regulated framework for the first time.

Which Lotteries are Legal in the UAE?

As of 2026, there are three GCGRA-authorised lottery operators in the UAE:

• UAE Lottery — Lucky Day, Pick 3 and Pick 4 draws
• Big Ticket Abu Dhabi — monthly raffle draw with a AED 15 million top prize
• Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire — raffle-style draw available at Dubai International Airport

These are the only lottery products that are legally sanctioned by the UAE government. Playing through any other operator — including unlicensed offshore lottery websites — remains illegal under UAE law.

What About International or Online Lotteries?

This is an important distinction. While local regulated lotteries are now legal, purchasing tickets for foreign lotteries through international websites (such as EuroMillions, Powerball or similar) is not covered by the GCGRA framework and falls outside the legal protections afforded to players under UAE law. The UAE's regulatory changes legalised domestic commercial gaming under licence — not participation in foreign gambling products.

If you're in the UAE and want to play the lottery legally, stick to the three GCGRA-licensed operators listed above.

So, is it Legal?

Yes — playing the lottery in the UAE is now legal, as long as you play through a GCGRA-licensed operator. The 2023 regulatory reforms and the subsequent launch of the UAE Lottery mark a genuine turning point for the country's gaming landscape. Players now have access to properly regulated products with consumer protections in place, prize guarantees and official oversight.

As the market matures, we expect more products and operators to come to market. We'll be keeping this page updated as things develop. In the meantime, you can explore all three licensed operators using our reviews and track the latest UAE lottery results right here on CompareTheLotto.com.