Vice President - International Gaming Compliance And MLRO

Job Description

About Wynn Al Marjan Island:

Wynn Al Marjan Island will be the first integrated resort in the UAE. Set to open in 2027, the resort will be located 50 miles from Dubai International Airport in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah. The resort will offer 1,530 rooms and suites, 22 restaurants, lounges, and bars, a theater, and a beach club. It will feature multiple swimming and wading pools, a five-star spa, a salon, a shopping promenade, and a celebrations and events center.

About The Position

Wynn Al Marjan Island is currently seeking a Vice President – Gaming Compliance & Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) to join the resort’s Gaming Compliance team in Ras Al Khaimah. The role reports directly to the Chief Global Compliance Officer, Wynn Resorts, and administratively to the SVP, General Counsel, WMI.

As MLRO and a senior leader within Gaming Compliance, you will direct the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of WMI’s risk-based Anti-Money Laundering, Countering the Financing of Terrorism and Proliferation Financing (AML/CFT/CPF) Compliance Program. You will oversee suspicious activity investigations and reporting to the UAE Financial Intelligence Unit (UAE FIU) through goAML, set risk appetite and control standards, lead training, and provide strategic direction to Gaming Compliance teams and Gaming Promoters/Independent Agents. The program covers applicable UAE Federal AML laws, Cabinet Decisions, Chapter 12 of the GCGRA Executive Regulations, and FATF standards applicable to Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DNFBPs).

Responsibilities

The primary duties and responsibilities of this role are:

• Act as WMI’s MLRO, reviewing and determining Suspicious Activity Incident Reports (SAIRs), escalating and filing Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs), ensuring continuity through an appropriately qualified Deputy MLRO during any absence, and serving as Secretary of the WMI AML Compliance Committee.
• Provide strategic leadership and direction to Gaming Compliance, setting objectives, policies, and procedures aligned with regulatory requirements and business goals.
• Oversee AML/CFT obligations and maintain effective compliance systems, controls, and governance to minimize exposure to money laundering and terrorism financing.
• Direct and review suspicious activity investigations, analysis, and escalation, with direct reporting to the WMI AML Compliance Committee and governing body. Make timely, documented reporting or non-reporting decisions, prioritize cases by risk, and maintain confidentiality and independence.
• Oversee timely SAR filing with the UAE FIU through goAML, no later than 30 calendar days from initial detection, and ensure the GCGRA is notified of the FIU reference number immediately following submission.
• Oversee Customer Due Diligence (CDD), Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD), source of funds and source of wealth verification, and risk scoring for potentially high-risk patrons and Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs), approving risk-based decisions.
• Develop and maintain quality assurance (QA) policies, procedures, and review standards for SARs, CDD and EDD files, transaction monitoring alerts, and investigations to ensure accuracy, consistency, and alignment with GCGRA requirements.
• Conduct comprehensive QA testing to identify trends, gaps, and errors, and recommend corrective actions and improvements to strengthen the AML Compliance Program.
• Prepare QA reports, metrics, analytical findings, and enhancement updates for leadership, the WMI AML Compliance Committee, and the Patron AML Restriction Committee.
• Maintain robust AML/CFT recordkeeping and storage for a minimum of five years, in accordance with the GCGRA Executive Regulations, with records immediately available to the GCGRA or UAE authorities upon request.
• Oversee regular screening of persons reported in SAIRs/SARs, currency exchanges, and third-party wire transfers, and review the monthly PEP checklist prepared for Global Compliance Investigations.
• Work closely with Wynn Resorts Global Compliance Investigations to prepare and review reports for the WMI AML Compliance Committee and Patron AML Restriction Committee.
• Lead GCGRA examinations, internal audits, and annual independent AML Compliance Program testing; act as a primary regulatory contact and oversee remediation of deficiencies.
• Cooperate with the GCGRA, UAE FIU, Police, and Courts, managing responses to investigation inquiries and regulatory or law enforcement information requests.
• Oversee ongoing sanctions screening of players, transactions, and vendors against UAE and relevant UN Security Council sanctions lists, including match handling, escalation, freezing measures, reporting, and recordkeeping; ensure Targeted Financial Sanctions are applied when a match is identified.
• Oversee daily transaction monitoring, transaction logs, and Electronic Multiple Transaction Logs (e-MTLs), ensuring loggable and reportable transactions at or above AED 11,000 are accurately recorded and structuring or other suspicious activity is identified and escalated.
• Design and implement monitored risk scenarios and typologies, overseeing alert handling, escalation, investigation, system tuning, and transaction monitoring effectiveness.
• Enforce the prohibition on anonymous, alias/AKA, fictitious-name, and nominee Player Accounts, and ensure identification and account-opening due diligence requirements are met.
• Enforce strict confidentiality of SARs and suspicious activity investigations and the prohibition on tipping off, sharing SAR information only on a need-to-know basis in accordance with UAE law.
• Direct WMI’s annual money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing risk assessment, using results to enhance policies, procedures, systems, and controls.
• Report clearly and promptly to senior management and governing bodies on AML/CFT/CPF program effectiveness, maintaining governance that upholds confidentiality and independence.
• Keep the Compliance Program current with evolving risks, typologies, legislation, regulatory guidance, sanctions requirements, products, services, and emerging technologies.
• Develop, deliver, and maintain AML/CFT/CPF training, including role-targeted programs, materials, and records; coach managers, staff, and Gaming Promoters/Independent Agents on regulatory obligations.
• Recruit, develop, mentor, and manage Gaming Compliance managers and team members.
• Build professional, positive relationships with department heads, team members, regulators, and Gaming Promoters/Independent Agents.
• Attend and lead departmental and interdepartmental meetings and share relevant information.
• Adhere to Company policies, procedures, and the Code of Conduct.
• Maintain professional conduct and grooming in line with Department and Company standards.
• Follow health and safety standards and pursue continuous improvement to prevent health and injury hazards.
• Undertake other duties and responsibilities typical of a VP-level role at WMI.
  
  

About You

The ideal candidate for this position will have the following experience and qualifications:

• Experience: At least 10 years of experience in AML/CFT/CPF compliance, gaming compliance, or a related field, including at least five years in senior management or a director-level role, with sufficient authority, direct access to governing bodies, and the independence to challenge business decisions.
• Operational MLRO experience: Advanced, senior-level operational MLRO experience in a large, complex, cash- and/or value-intensive environment, relevant to WMI’s land-based casino business model, transaction profile, customer base, and ML/TF/PF risks.
• Preferred experience: Experience in UAE financial institutions or regulated entities, goAML and UAE FIU reporting, GCGRA requirements, the UAE AML/CFT/CPF framework and regulatory environment, and commercial gaming.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Legal, or a related discipline. A master’s degree or professional qualification, such as ACAMS or an ICA Diploma, is preferred.
• Regulatory knowledge: Comprehensive knowledge of AML/CFT laws and gaming-related GCGRA requirements, including Chapter 12 of the GCGRA Executive Regulations, UAE Federal Decree-Law No. (10) of 2025, Cabinet Resolution No. (134) of 2025, the Joint Guidance on the AML/CFT/CPF Compliance Officer/MLRO Function in the UAE, and FATF standards applicable to DNFBPs.
• Systems and investigations: Sound knowledge of gaming systems and transactions; extensive experience investigating suspicious incidents and preparing and reviewing SARs and Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs); familiarity with goAML, Napier screening, sanctions screening, CDD/EDD, source of funds/source of wealth, and PEP requirements. Knowledge of Casino Cage systems supporting reporting accuracy is highly regarded.
• Preferred technical qualifications: Demonstrated proficiency in QA testing methodologies, compliance testing, and audit procedures; ACAMS certification.
• MLRO competency criteria: Demonstrable, role-appropriate competence under GCGRA Financial Crime Prevention (FCP) Notice No. 9 dated 29 July 2026, commensurate with WMI’s land-based casino subsector, business model, transaction profile, and ML/TF/PF risk exposure. Any appointment is subject to GCGRA licensing and suitability assessment.
• Risk assessment and program management: Ability to develop and maintain a business-wide risk assessment and implement an effective risk-based compliance program and mitigating controls.
• Due diligence and ongoing monitoring: Ability to implement ongoing customer risk-rating and appropriate due diligence, including EDD for high-risk relationships, source of funds and source of wealth checks, enhanced measures, and continuous review and updates.
• Transaction monitoring: Ability to design and implement risk scenarios and typologies and oversee alert handling, escalation, investigation, tuning, and monitoring system effectiveness.
• Suspicious transaction/activity reporting: Ability to assess alerts and internal reports, make timely and documented reporting or non-reporting decisions, maintain confidentiality and independence, prioritize cases, and oversee post-reporting action.
• Sanctions and Targeted Financial Sanctions: Ability to implement and oversee screening, match handling, escalation, freezing measures, reporting, and recordkeeping under the UAE framework.
• Training: Ability to develop, implement, and oversee effective training programs, including role-targeted training.
• Governance, reporting, and records: Ability to maintain effective governance, clear and timely reporting to senior management and governing bodies, confidentiality, independence, and robust recordkeeping, retention, and audit trails.
• Commercial gaming risks and typologies: Good understanding of ML/TF/PF indicators related to player and customer profiles, geography, payment methods, products, online, retail, land-based and sports-wagering subsectors, player accounts, wagering behavior, and transactional patterns.
• Practical commercial gaming experience: Strongly preferred but not mandatory at the current stage of UAE commercial gaming development. Candidates without this experience must have sufficient technical competence and relevant practical experience in comparable UAE environments, such as cash-intensive businesses, payment service providers, fintech, or banking; demonstrate sound gaming-risk understanding; and be supported by a dedicated team with sufficient sector-specific AML/CFT/CPF experience.
• Regulatory engagement: Experience managing supervisory authority, FIU or equivalent overseas authority, and law enforcement relationships, including examinations, enquiries, findings, and remediation.
• Framework design and implementation: Experience developing, implementing, and overseeing AML/CFT/CPF frameworks, preferably in the UAE, and practical use of goAML or an equivalent reporting system for STRs, SARs, Partial Name Match Reports (PNMRs), Confirmed Name Match Reports (CNMRs), and High-Risk Country Reports. Without prior UAE experience, a solid understanding of the UAE legal and regulatory framework and its practical implications is required.
• Continuous professional development: Commitment to maintaining and enhancing knowledge of evolving AML/CFT/CPF risks, typologies, legislation, guidance, sanctions, products, services, and emerging technologies.
• Land-based casino risk and operating profile: Readiness for the high-risk profile described in GCGRA FCP Notice No. 9, Appendix A: cash-intensive operations, high-value play, VIPs, casino value instruments, and international customers.
• Relevant land-based casino experience: Experience relevant to land-based casinos, cash-intensive hospitality and retail operations, VIP/high-net-worth customer products, and complex source of funds and source of wealth assessments. In the absence of commercial gaming experience, demonstrate comparable cash and high-value transaction, VIP, and complex operational risk experience, understand land-based casino risk typologies, and be supported by subordinates with sufficient industry experience.
• Sports-wagering knowledge: Good understanding of match-fixing, syndicated or proxy betting, coordinated betting with other players, opposing wagers, and suspicious odds or betting patterns.
• Evidence of practical application: Actual experience in transaction monitoring, implementing cash and gaming-instrument controls, VIP/EDD decisions, STR/SAR reporting, independent decision-making, and direct reporting to the governing body.
• Readiness from commencement: Limited changes to the Appendix A criteria are acceptable. Candidates should be substantially ready to perform the role from commencement; significant operational gaps should not be addressed solely through training.
• Language ability: Proficient in English; Arabic fluency preferred.
• Computer skills: Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office 365 apps, CoPilot/Claude AI, and other relevant AI applications.
• Leadership and communication: Excellent leadership, writing, and communication skills.
  
  

About Wynn Al Marjan Island’s Benefits

We offer an attractive salary, paid in Dirhams (AED), the local currency of the UAE. In addition, we offer an excellent leave policy, a healthcare package and as well as incentive programs, and other employee benefits . The result is a package that makes this role highly attractive to outstanding applicant s seeking a career with Wynn Resorts, among the most renowned and celebrated brands in the global hospitality industry.

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