Arena Racing Company (ARC) has been awarded a Gaming-Related Vendor licence by the United Arab Emirates' General Commercial Gaming Authority (GCGRA), the federal body responsible for regulating and supervising commercial gaming activity in the UAE.
The licence is effective immediately and permits ARC to provide its racing-related products and services to licensed operators within the country at a time when the British Horseracing Authority is highlighting the importance of stable revenue after the Autumn Budget spared horseracing betting duties.
ARC's Racing1 Markets service is included under the licence. The platform covers horse and greyhound racing and is delivered in partnership with media rights holders 1/st Content, Racecourse Media Group (RMG) and Tabcorp, with technical support from Pythia Sports.
Elsewhere in the horseracing world, a British jockey and a quasi-owner have been banned for nine and 12 years respectively after being found guilty of conspiring to prevent a horse from running on its merits at Worcester in July 2023.
Additionally, Horseshoe Indianapolis workers ended a seven-week strike after 200 employees voted to join Teamsters Local 135, securing union representation for the property's gaming staff.
Jack Whitaker, ARC CM, stated: "Obtaining this license is a great achievement for ARC and its Racing1 partners.
"The emerging regulated UAE market is incredibly exciting and we look forward to showcasing our innovative products and services in the region."
ARC is now listed as a licensed vendor on the GCGRA website, confirming its regulatory approval in the UAE