Fanatics has chosen the UAE for its first gaming step outside the United States, linking with Momentum Group in a joint venture built around licensed commercial gaming, sportsbook, iGaming, lottery, and content.
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Fanatics does not need to build from zero in the UAE. Momentum already holds licensed access through its local operations, including Play971, named after the UAE +971 country calling code.
That platform gives the joint venture a licensed base in a market where the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority controls gaming activities and commercial gaming operations at federal level. Regulatory approval has already covered the change in control of Momentum entities, which clears a key part of the process before any wider product work begins.
Momentum will bring local market access, licensed operations, and product channels across iGaming, sportsbook, lottery, and content. Fanatics will add gaming technology, operating experience, and a consumer brand tied to sports betting, merchandise, collectibles, content, and memorabilia.
The companies described the plan as a way to build a “new powerhouse in regional regulated commercial gaming.” No launch dates, product upgrades, or platform changes were announced.
Fanatics had already pointed toward the region before the UAE deal. Earlier this month, the company said it planned to create a regional headquarters in Qatar, which shares a maritime border with the UAE.
Sheikh Jassim bin Mansour bin Jabor Al Thani, director of the Qatar government communications office, said:
“The establishment of Fanatics’ regional hub in Qatar demonstrates the confidence global industry leaders have in Qatar’s business environment and our strategic location. This partnership will showcase Qatar’s dynamic sports landscape and foster deeper connections between our region and the global sports industry.”
That regional setup now sits beside a direct gaming route into the UAE. For Fanatics, the timing also follows sharp growth in its gaming unit. Revenue rose from $300 million in 2024 to $2 billion in 2025, while growth continued through the first half of 2026.
Momentum chief operating officer Scott Burton said:
“The UAE has built one of the world’s most carefully regulated commercial gaming markets, and this joint venture is a reflection of the confidence that brings. Combining Momentum’s regional experience with Fanatics’ global product capability creates a partnership well placed to grow alongside this market for the long term.”
The joint venture also plans to invest in technology, consumer experience, responsible gaming, regulated product development, and the wider UAE economy. That mix matters in a market still early in its commercial gaming buildout, where license status and responsible operations carry extra weight.
Fanatics gaming president Conor Grant said:
“The UAE is establishing one of the most thoughtfully regulated commercial gaming markets in the world, and Momentum has demonstrated what a responsible, credible operation within it looks like. We are entering this market for the long term, committed to building something genuinely category-defining together.”
Fanatics has grown fast in U.S. sports betting and iGaming, but the UAE deal changes the map. The company now has a licensed international path through Momentum, Play971, and GCGRA approval, with the Middle East becoming its first test outside North America.