After 15 years of playing Abu Dhabi’s Big Ticket draw with little success, Reynaldo Herboso’s persistence has paid off.
He won the grand Dh20 million ($5.4 million) prize last week, which he is splitting with nine friends after some withdrew from the group.
The Filipino has been working in a bakery in Dubai since 1988, specialising in cake decoration.
Mr Herboso told The National he was elated after selecting the winning ticket. “Very happy - my reaction … my God. It changed my life,” he said. “All the people, not only me, all the people are very happy.”
The windfall is a major boost for him and his family, but he does not plan on turning off the oven anytime soon.
“This is my work,” he said. “When I came to Dubai, there was no Burj Al Arab.”
'Don't give up, luck is coming'
Mr Herboso's story is one of patience and hope. He has been participating in draws for years and co-ordinating groups to split any cash won. During one Dubai Shopping Festival season, his group won a Lexus, but the ticket was not in his name.
His friends wanted to stop playing the Big Ticket draw last month, because they had been taking part for years with little success.
This time, Mr Herboso bought the Dh500 ticket with friends from the Philippines, India and Bangladesh, a day before the lucky numbers were chosen.
“I told my group ‘don’t give up, the luck is coming’,” he said. “Fewer people joined the group and I was afraid because my share of the cost had gone up and I was using my card.”
The day before he received the call that would change his life, he was at an electronics store with a Bangladeshi friend, discussing what phones they would buy if they won.
“I said if tomorrow I win, I will buy an iPhone 17 Pro, and he said he would buy a Samsung,” he said.
When the call came through, he said he thought it was a consolation prize of Dh100, but then recognised the voice of Richard from Big Ticket.
"For how many years did I buy, because I thought maybe luck was coming?" Mr Herboso said. "Our Bangladeshi friend selected the ticket numbers for us. When I found out that we had won, I was completely over the moon."
While he had not yet decided how he would use his share of the winnings, he vowed to take his time and make an informed decision once he received the prize. Regardless, he is thrilled that his determination paid off.
"My whole group is now very happy," he said. "They greet me, 'thank you, Mr Rey, because of you, I changed my life also'."
