GGRAsia – Max Tappeiner named president of Wynn Resorts’ UAE project

Max Tappeiner named president of Wynn Resorts’ UAE project

Aug 21, 2024 Newsdesk Latest News, Top of the deck, World

Global casino operator Wynn Resorts Ltd has appointed Max Tappeiner (pictured) as president of Wynn Al Marjan Island, the group’s under-construction project in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The announcement was made via a LinkedIn post on Tuesday.

Mr Tappeiner is currently executive vice president of operations at Wynn Las Vegas, after joining the property in 2022 as a senior vice president of operations. He will assume his role as president of Wynn Al Marjan Island effective from September 1.

Mr Tappeiner is described as a hospitality veteran with more than 20 years of international experience, spanning work at small luxury boutique hotels, to large-scale casino resorts.

“I’m beyond grateful and humbled to join the Wynn Al Marjan Island team,” said the executive in his social media post.

“I’m looking forward to this exciting journey as we expand to a new territory as the first gaming operator in the UAE,” he added.

Wynn Resorts Ltd – parent of Macau casino operator Wynn Macau Ltd – is currently developing Wynn Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah, one of the UAE’s emirates. The project has been described as a US$3.9-billion venture involving local partners, in which Wynn Resorts is a 40-percent equity investor.

Facilities at Wynn Al Marjan Island are due to include a hotel with 1,542 rooms, including 22 private villas on a marina adjacent to the resort. The property will also feature a 7,500-square-metre [80,729-sq-feet] events centre, a 15,000-sq-metre retail venue, more than 20 restaurants and bars, and a theatre, according to Wynn Resorts.

Earlier this year, Wynn Resorts stated that the UAE project was on track to “open to the public in early 2027”.

CBRE said recently the venture could generate US$1.4 billion annually in gross gaming revenue (GGR).

In July, the official website for the UAE’s gambling regulator – the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) – went live to the public. The body has also announced the federal nation’s first-ever lottery licence.