Fortune smiled on six lucky winners in the recent Big Ticket draw, where they shared a cash prize of Dh300,000, receiving Dh50,000 each.
The winners, hailing from the UAE, Kuwait, and India, shared how they learned about their life-changing wins.
A Decade in the Making
Zakir Hussain Erattum Vakkatha, a 53-year-old Chief Accounts Manager from Sharjah and a Kerala native, won after nearly a decade of participating in the Big Ticket draw. He has been a regular since hearing about it from friends in 2016, sometimes buying tickets solo and other times with friends.
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He bought his winning ticket on July 25, 2025. “I was genuinely surprised when I found out. I was in India at the time, and a friend sent me a screenshot from the website to break the news,” he recounted.
Grateful for the win, his first plan is to share the prize with his friends. However, his journey with Big Ticket is far from over. “Even on my return from India yesterday, I bought another ticket,” he said. “My message to others is simple: keep trying, and eventually, the door will open.”
Bigger Dreams
Moza Almansoori, a Ministry of Education employee and an Emirati from Abu Dhabi, has regularly participated in the Big Ticket draw, often buying five to six tickets at a time, hoping her turn would come.
“Winning the grand prize has always been my dream,” she shared. Almansoori purchased her ticket on July 28. She described the moment she found out as one of the greatest surprises of her life. She plans to continue buying tickets each month, hopeful that she will eventually win the grand prize.
Transforming Lives
Bikrama Sahu, a 48-year-old manager from India and a UAE resident since 2011, won after consistently buying tickets for the past seven to eight years. While his family lives in the UAE, his daughter recently returned to India for university.
Bikrama Sahu
He learned about his win via the website and a confirmation email. “I couldn’t believe my name was there,” he recalled. Sahu buys tickets every month, sometimes alone and other times with a group of friends.
“I’m actually on my way to buy more tickets today,” he said with a smile. For him, Big Ticket is more than just luck. “Big Ticket changes lives, one person at a time,” he said, hopeful for many more to experience the joy of winning.
An Incredible Surprise
Antony Ashok, an Indian expatriate nearing 50, celebrates his first Big Ticket win after 15 years of trying. He has lived in the UAE for 20 years in the construction industry, while his family remains in India.
Over the years, he consistently bought tickets with a group of 40 friends, contributing Dh2,500 to Dh3,000 each time. Eventually, his patience paid off. He described the moment he found out as pure delight. “I was overjoyed when I learned of my win,” he said, reflecting on the incredible surprise after years of hopeful participation.
Other Winners
Kabeer Kazhinkil and Nicholas Paul Varocky bought their winning tickets on July 7, 2025, and July 30, 2025, respectively, and were thrilled to find out they were among this month’s winners.
Kabeer Kazhinkil
August at Big Ticket
August offers numerous prizes at Big Ticket. Participants can win the grand prize of Dh15 million during the live draw on September 3. Additionally, six more winners will each receive Dh100,000.
Customers purchasing two or more cash tickets between August 1 and August 25 might be selected to attend the live draw and win cash prizes from Dh50,000 to Dh150,000. The names of the confirmed participants will be announced on the Big Ticket website on September 1.
The Dream Car prize for August is the high-performance BMW M440i, with the lucky winner to be announced on September 3, 2025.
