United Arab Emirates Dirham Casinos
As you are probably aware, the dirham is the currency of the United Arab Emirates. However, while the trade and usage of the dirham go right back to the Ottoman Empire, it wasn’t until 1966 that the dirham was used in the UAE, with the Gulf rupee (pegged to the Indian rupee) used instead. The currency isn’t the only thing the UAE borrowed from the Ottomans. Islam is the state religion, and so gambling is banned outright, too. How can there be UAE dirham casinos then, and how can you play at them? After introducing you to a few AED online casinos below, we’ll explain all.
Casino List with AED Currency
About UAE Dirhams in Gambling
The dirham has been the official currency of the UAE since 1973. Abu Dhabi caused a fuss when it adopted the dirham instead of the Bahraini dinar (as it previously had done). Meanwhile, the Dubai and Qatar riyal continued to be used elsewhere.
The AED has been virtually pegged to the US dollar since 1997 and is currently worth around 3.6 dirhams to a single dollar. Another way to look at it is to say that one dirham is worth $0.27. The dirham is not widely used amongst UAE nationals to bet online, with those that are brave enough to do so opting to use the US dollar instead in many cases.
Online Gambling in the UAE
You can virtually forget about betting online in the United Arab Emirates. Gambling is forbidden under religious law. Any player who gambles can be punished, and some have been arrested and faced prison sentences for doing so. There are three gambling sites that offer land-based facilities, including Dubai, but these are only available for tourists.
Online gambling is not advised, with the punishments extensive. However, it is for this reason that few UAE citizens bet with traceable dirhams. Instead, they opt to open accounts with offshore betting sites, and use foreign payment methods to deposit, wager and withdraw using the US dollar, which is less risky for them.
