Abu Dhabi Big Ticket to ring in new year with record Dh35 million jackpot

Long-running lottery aims to bring good fortune to a lucky few early in 2023

Abu Dhabi Big Ticket will offer its biggest jackpot yet, Dh35 million, to start 2023 in style. Photo: Abu Dhabi Big Ticket

Many UAE residents will be dreaming of a life-changing start to the New Year after Abu Dhabi's Big Ticket announced its biggest jackpot prize yet, Dh35 million ($9.53 million), for its first weekly live draw of 2023.

A second prize of a cool Dh1 million will also be up for grabs and three people will walk away with Dh100,000 each on January 3.

Big Ticket customers will automatically be entered into the weekly electronic draw where there is a chance to win 1kg of 24-carat gold.

Each ticket costs Dh500.

Players who buy Dream Car tickets put themselves in line to win a luxury Maserati on January 3.

The ticket costs Dh150 and anyone who purchases two tickets will get a third free, boosting their hopes of a new set of wheels with which to ring in 2023.

An Indian expat who left Dubai after struggling with the cost of living clinched Dh1 million in the Abu Dhabi lotto draw last month ― and now wants to move back.

Varsha Gunda, 34, bought a ticket online from India after getting a lucky feeling.

Her seven-year-old son picked the winning ticket.

The same month, a worker at Ikkayees restaurant in Dubai’s Karama area and 20 of his colleagues won the Dh25 million cash prize.

Each of them took home nearly Dh1.2m.

The Big Ticket was established in 1992, with an initial grand prize of Dh1 million.

The long-running draw will kick off the new year with its biggest prize yet.

Big ticket winners - in pictures

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  UAE residents who struck lucky with Abu Dhabi's Big Ticket draw attended a gala dinner. Organisers of the draw celebrated the winners' good luck at the Alexandra Dhow Cruise in Dubai Marina. All photos by Leslie Pableo / The National

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  Richard Isaac and Bouchra Yamani, the two presenters who pick out the raffle tickets and call the winners, interacted with the winners. Some of attendees had won jackpots of between Dh1 million to Dh15 million, while others won Dh90,000

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  'The National' spoke to winners about how they have spent their grand prize. Shivamurthy Gali Krishnappa won Dh12 million last month. He said he wants to save for his children's future. For now, he is still working as a mechanical engineer for a stainless steel production company

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  Shahed Ahmed Moulvifaiz, a Bangladeshi car garage owner in Al Ain, won Dh10 million less than a week ago. He wants to bring his family to the UAE, expand his business and spend on his youngest son's education

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  Jayaprakash Mariyan Philip had won the Dh1 million prize with nine other people. The funds were split equally, leaving him with Dh100,000. He said he has paid off part of his bank loans

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  Zaheenn Kausar was visiting her husband in Abu Dhabi from Pakistan, when he bought a ticket under her name. She proved lucky for her family after winning Dh90,000. She wants to pay for her daughter's university tuition and buy a car for herself

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  Before the Covid-19 pandemic, more than 5,000 people would gather during a live event in Abu Dhabi to watch the draw take place. Since 2020, the draw streams live on social media channels, bringing in even larger crowds

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  Many people buy multiple tickets together and then split the prize equally. There are also those who win after buying a ticket alone, allowing them to keep the entire jackpot

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  The Abu Dhabi Big Draw has been changing lives since 1992

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  The ticket for the grand prize costs Dh500