Wynn’s UAE Casino Is Delayed and Costlier — CEO Calls It a ‘Monopoly’ Worth the Spend

Wynn Resorts is pushing back the opening of its Ras Al Khaimah casino resort by roughly six months and adding $600 million to the project’s budget, citing supply chain and shipping disruptions tied to the U.S.-Iran war. CEO Craig Billings told analysts on the company’s second-quarter earnings call Tuesday that Wynn Al Marjan Island, the UAE’s first integrated gaming resort, is now expected to open in September 2027 rather than the first quarter of 2027. Billings had already flagged a “modest delay” in May. The total project budget is now about $5.7 billion. Wynn said roughly half of the $600 million in added cost relates directly to war —higher shipping and insurance costs, for example, and rerouted or expedited materials and equipment. “These disruptions have impacted both the timing and cost of the project,” Billings said. Wynn Al Marjan Island will include 1,530 rooms, 22 restaurants, a bea