The General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA), the UAE’s gaming regulator, has appointed Ciarán Carruthers as its new chief executive officer.
The GCGRA announced the appointment on Tuesday, June 9th, saying Carruthers would support the authority’s mission to establish a world-class, transparent and responsible regulatory framework for commercial gaming in the UAE.
The appointment comes as Wynn Al Marjan Island, the country’s first licensed casino resort, is scheduled to open in 2027.
Carruthers brings close to 40 years of experience across the gaming and hospitality industries, with much of that time spent in senior roles in Asia. Most recently, he led Crown Resorts in Australia through the remediation process that followed the Bergin inquiry, strengthening the operator’s compliance and player-protection systems. Crown retained its casino licenses in Victoria and New South Wales before he departed in November 2024.
Jim Murren, chairman of the GCGRA, said Carruthers’ experience would support the authority’s next phase of development.
“We are pleased to welcome Ciarán to the GCGRA leadership team. He brings the experience and vision to lead the Authority as we continue to build a world-class regulatory framework for commercial gaming in the UAE,” Murren said.
Carruthers said he was honored to join the regulator as the UAE continues to develop its commercial gaming framework.
“The UAE is establishing itself as a global benchmark for modern and responsible gaming regulation, and I look forward to working closely with the team, licensees, and government partners to deliver on that ambition,” he said.
Before joining Crown, Carruthers served as chief operating officer of Wynn Macau from January 2017 to September 2022. He was previously senior vice president and director of Venetian and Plaza operations at Sands China from 2014 to 2016, and president and CEO of Asia Pacific Gaming, a casino industry research and consultancy firm, from 2010 to 2013.
Carruthers succeeds Kevin Mullally, the GCGRA’s first chief executive. Mullally spent years at Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) and earlier served as director of the Missouri Gaming Commission. He headed the authority from its founding until resigning last November for family reasons. Murren served as interim CEO following his departure.
In February, Mullally was named the first CEO of the International Association of Gaming Regulators, an organization that had operated as a members’ body since the 1980s before appointing its first chief executive.
