Wynn Resorts has appointed Max Tappeiner as president of Wynn Al Marjan Island, the operator’s United Arab Emirates resort currently under development.
The news was announced on Tuesday (20 August) via LinkedIn. Tappeiner takes on the role from 1 September this year after two years at Wynn Las Vegas. He joined as senior vice-president of operations, before a promotion to executive vice-president in May 2023.
Previously Tappeiner held operations roles at other Las Vegas Strip properties including Resorts World Las Vegas and The Venetian and Palazzo, where he served as vice-president of hotel operations. This followed years in the hotel industry mainly with Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group.
“I’m beyond grateful and humbled to join the Wynn Al Marjan Island team,” Tappeiner wrote on LinkedIn. “Thank you to Craig Billings for this amazing opportunity.
“I’m looking forward to this exciting journey as we expand to a new territory as the first gaming operator in the UAE.”
While the development in Ras Al Khaimah won’t open until 2027, Tappeiner is now the second president of the project. Wynn named Marriott International veteran Thomas Schoen as president in May 2023. iGB was told that Schoen has left the business, but inquiries to Wynn for confirmation were not immediately returned Tuesday.
Wynn Al Marjan Islands pioneers UAE gaming
Announced in January 2022, the $3.9bn Wynn Al Marjan Island will be Wynn’s first beachfront resort and the first property of its kind in the UAE. The property on a man-made island will include a 1,500-room hotel alongside entertainment and gaming amenities, 24 dining and lounge experiences and a high-end shopping centre among other attractions.
Construction is under way and Wynn chief executive Craig Billings said during the operator’s H1 results call that it stands at just over 90 metres, making it the tallest building in the Emirate.
Wynn closed a deal in the second quarter to acquire a further 70 acres of land on the island for potential future developments.
“As I have noted before, I believe the UAE is the most exciting new market for our industry in decades and our confidence in the demand and EBITDA potential of Wynn Al Marjan continues to grow,” Billings said during the earnings call.
Where’s Wynn’s UAE licence?
The property is yet to receive a licence from the UAE’s new gambling regulator, the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA). The Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development
Authority (RAKTDA) was originally set to be the regulator with oversight for the property before the GCGRA was established.
Formed in 2023, the GCGRA is responsible for development of integrated resorts, a national lottery and an igaming industry. However, to date it has only issued a licence to The Game LLC. A new company owned by Abu Dhabi-based gaming business Momentum, The Game will run the Emirates’ national lottery, UAE Lottery. That meant established local operators Emirates Draw and Mahzooz both missed out.
While Wynn Al Marjan Island was the first gaming project launched in the UAE, there have not been any recent updates on when it will secure its operating licence. Multiple sources told iGB the GCGRA board has visited the development in recent months.
On the H1 earnings call Billings pointed to the UAE Lottery licence as evidence of progress, suggesting Wynn’s licence is in the works.
“I assume that they will be moving forward next… to the next step in our licensure,” he told analysts. “I don’t have a specific timeline for you, but you can see all the momentum that’s happening there.”
