Hospitality, Entertainment & Leisure
Hotels and properties, entertainment and gaming, and travel.
Where integrity risk sits in hospitality.
Hospitality runs on trust: guests trust the brand, owners trust the operator and regulators trust the books. Record tourism in India and Dubai, a Thai recovery under pressure and the arrival of regulated gaming in the UAE all raise the value of that trust and the cost of losing it.
India and the UAE & Dubai, in numbers.
Statistics and regulatory developments from government, regulator and industry sources. Each figure links to its source.
Tourism contributes over 5% of GDP, hotel investment is rising and medical travel is growing.
Regulatory and market updates
- Online real-money gaming banned
The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 bans online money games, their advertising and related payments.Source: Entrackr
- Branded supply surge
About 8,990 keys across 103 branded hotels opened in 2025, expanding franchise and management-contract exposure.Source: IBEF
Dubai set its third consecutive tourism record in 2025, and the UAE has licensed its first commercial gaming resort.
Regulatory and market updates
- Regulated commercial gaming
The General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority issued the UAE's first commercial gaming facility licence to Wynn's Al Marjan Island resort.Source: iGaming Business
- Travel disruption in 2026
Regional conflict hit tourism, transport and trade in Q2 2026, when real GDP fell 2.1% year on year.Source: Khaleej Times, citing FCSC
The integrity risks we see most often.
Exposure ratings reflect BDI's casework and the current market and regulatory environment.
Procurement and F&B leakage
Kickbacks on supplies, inflated renovations and food-and-beverage pilferage.
Revenue and cash fraud
Room-revenue manipulation, cash skimming and channel-manager fraud.
Brand misuse and fake bookings
Fake booking sites, fake reviews and unauthorised use of hotel brands.
Gaming integrity and AML
Money laundering, match-fixing and illegal betting exposure.
Guest data and safety
Guest-data breaches and duty-of-care failures.
Other challenges
Decentralised operations
Many properties, many managers and seasonal staff.
Owner–operator tension
Management contracts and franchise fees invite disputes.
Volatile demand
Geopolitics and travel shocks hit occupancy overnight.
Each risk, matched to a response.
The practice that leads and the platform that keeps the record.
| Risk | How BDI responds | Practice | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Procurement and F&B leakage | Procurement and capex forensic reviews and inventory audits. | ||
| Revenue and cash fraud | Revenue assurance reviews, investigations and a confidential staff helpline. | ||
| Brand misuse and fake bookings | Domain and social monitoring, takedowns and INDRP proceedings. | ||
| Gaming integrity and AML | Operator, partner and junket due diligence and AML programme reviews. |
Go deeper.
Hotels & Properties
Protecting owners, operators and brands across management contracts and franchises.
Explore 06.2Entertainment & Gaming
Integrity for an industry being reshaped by regulation in all three markets.
Explore 06.3Travel
Airlines, agencies and travel platforms where fraud follows the booking.
ExploreSources
- IBEF, Tourism and Hospitality Industry in India, Updated Sep 2026.
- Entrackr, Govt kills real-money gaming with Gaming Bill, Aug 2025.
- Gulf News, citing Dubai DET, Dubai tourism hits record as 19.59m international visitors arrive in 2025, Feb 2026.
- iGaming Business, UAE awards its first commercial gaming licence to Wynn, Oct 2024.
- Khaleej Times, citing FCSC, UAE economy grows 0.4% to Dh961.9 billion in H1 2026 as non-oil sectors expand, Oct 2026.