The United Arab Emirates, also known as the UAE, is preparing to introduce new online safety protections for children, including age-gating for social media platforms and later extending to other digital services, including gaming.
The plans were discussed at a meeting of the Education, Human Development and Community Development Council on 15 February 2026. Officials described online child protection as a national priority that affects families, schools, and the wider community, Emirates News Agency reports.
Initial measures are expected to focus on platforms seen as having the most immediate influence on children’s daily lives. Authorities have raised concerns about excessive screen time, changes in communication within households, and the potential effects of digital platforms on attention, language development and time management.
Social media restrictions discussed
The approach under consideration would not rely solely on public awareness campaigns. Instead, service providers are likely to face clearer obligations. Age controls, monitoring systems and enforcement mechanisms are expected to form part of the framework as it develops.
Although public debate has largely centred on social media, the implications extend further. The UAE has already set out its position in law. Under Federal Decree-Law No. 26 of 2025 on Child Digital Safety, digital platforms are forbidden from allowing children to participate in, create accounts for, or access online commercial gaming, including betting or gambling-related activity.
The restriction extends beyond traditional real-money wagering to cover commercial online games that incorporate betting mechanics or other chance-based monetisation features.
For digital gaming and iGaming operators, this points to closer scrutiny of age-gating systems, identity verification tools and marketing exposure. Platforms may be required to demonstrate that minors cannot easily bypass registration controls. How games present paid chance-based features could also attract attention from regulators.
Separate gambling laws in works
The legal landscape is shifting alongside the policy debate. The UAE recently removed long-standing references to gambling and betting from its civil code. Under Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025, the new Civil Transactions Law will replace the existing code on 1 June 2026. Articles in the previous law that addressed gambling disputes were not carried forward into the updated legislation.
Legal analysts say the removal does not represent a relaxation of the country’s stance on gambling. Instead, it reflects a move to separate general civil law from the emerging commercial gaming framework. Responsibility for regulation now rests with the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA), the federal body tasked with licensing and supervising commercial gaming activities.
First licence already issued
The regulator has already begun issuing licences. In December 2025, it approved the country’s first licenced internet gaming and sports wagering platform, Play971. The decision marked a practical step in establishing a controlled and regulated gaming environment.
From June 2026, civil courts are expected to deal with gambling-related matters through the lens of regulatory compliance rather than under a dedicated civil-law chapter.
Further legislative changes will be introduced as licencing conditions are finalised. But for now, the framework seems to be placing importance on age controls, defined obligations for digital platforms, and a regulatory system tailored specifically to commercial gaming rather than general civil law.
The debate around child online safety may have started with social media, but analysts say it is likely to shape the future of digital gaming in the UAE as well.
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