Caesars Entertainment Corp. , long known for its namesake Las Vegas gambling destination, is trying something new in the Persian Gulf tourism hub of Dubai: a Caesars Palace without slot machines or blackjack tables.

Caesars said it is teaming up with Meraas Holding, a development company owned by Dubai’s royal family, to operate two Caesars-branded resorts and a beach club on an artificial island off the coast, part of a $2.2 billion project called Bluewaters. Meraas confirmed the arrangement.

The deal marks Caesars’ first affiliation with a non-gambling hotel.

The move is the latest example of a decadeslong shift in the business model of casinos, which rely less on revenue from gambling and more on hotel rooms, restaurants and entertainment. Since the company’s largest unit emerged from bankruptcy last fall, executives have highlighted management and licensing deals such as the one in Dubai as a new avenue for potential growth that is significantly less expensive than developing a new casino.

“This is a good way for us to get into places that we haven’t been to,” Caesars Chief Executive Mark Frissora said in an interview. He said the advantage of such deals is that “the capital is paid out by someone else. They do the investment.”