UAE raffles and prize draws put on hold from January 1

Mahzooz and Emirates Draw among companies affected by gaming review

Mohammed Adil Khan won a prize with Emirates Draw where he will receive Dh25,000 per month for the next 25 years. Organisers have said they will honour his winnings despite a mandated pause in operations. Antonie Robertson/The National

In November, Sreeju from India won Dh20 million with Mahzooz. The company said it looks forward to returning to business. Pawan Singh / The National

Adnan Malik was the eighth Pakistani to win the Dubai Duty Free prize of $1 million. Tickets continue to be sold online with two draws listed for January 3. Photo: Dubai Duty Free

Previous winners with Big Ticket. From left, Kishore won Dh15 million, Vishal won Dh100,000 and Rashmi won Dh100,000. Antonie Robertson/The National

People who hope to hit the jackpot on any of the UAE's prize draws will have to put their dreams on hold as operators have been instructed to pause business from Monday.

Previously, players have been able to win anything from a few dirhams to Dh200 million with companies such as Mahzooz and Emirates Draw.

“In compliance with applicable commercial gaming regulations, Mahzooz will temporarily pause operations from January 1st, 2024,” the operator said.

“The pause is a result of an industry-wide mandate consistent with the regulators’ new role to create a well-regulated gaming environment in the United Arab Emirates.”

Big Ticket confirmed to The National that it will continue operations.

"You can still buy your lucky ticket from our website or Abu Dhabi International Airport and Al Ain Airport counters," they said.

Dubai Duty Free also continues to sell tickets, and lists on its website two sold-out draws due to take place on Wednesday.

The National has approached Dubai Duty Free for comment.

In September, the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority was established in the UAE.

There is no set date for when the raffles will begin operating again.

Paul Chader, head of commercial at Emirates Draw, said they were "very pleased" at the introduction of the GCGRA.

"We look forward to working with them in establishing a well-regulated gaming environment in the UAE," he said.

"To that effect we are temporarily pausing our activities in the UAE as of January 1, 2024, assuring all our customers that we will be showing a duty of care towards the protection of all their prize awards outstanding.”

According to the Emirates Draw website, customers can withdraw any account balance with no minimum amount.

It also said participation and new account registration were suspended only for players from within the Emirates.

"The temporary pause in accepting new registrations for Emirates Draw affects players from inside the UAE. This decision is made based in line with regulatory directives that affect our ability to accept new registrations," said the website.

Both Big Ticket and Dubai Duty Free websites continue to offer tickets for sale.

The National has approached them for comment.

Article No 355 of UAE law considers all forms of gambling a criminal offence. It includes lotteries, and punishments that could result in imprisonment, fines, or both.

Some exceptions to the lottery laws in the UAE have meant that some companies authorised under the Ministry of Economy have been permitted to conduct raffles and prize draws.

Big Ticket winners on how their lives have changed – in pictures

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

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

'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

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

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

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

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

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

The Abu Dhabi Big Draw has been changing lives since 1992

The ticket for the grand prize costs Dh500