Beginner’s luck! UAE mom wins Dh100,000 in first UAE Lottery attempt

Dubai: Shazia Bhatti, a UAE resident, struck gold with beginner’s luck – winning Dh100,000 after purchasing just two tickets in her first-ever attempt at the UAE Lottery.

Having moved to the UAE with her daughter in September 2023, Shazia had never tried her hand at lotteries or raffles before. But after learning that the UAE Lottery is the country’s first regulated draw and reading about previous winners, she decided to give it a shot.

“I have never been into lotteries… never bought any, never won anything,” she said.

“Even when there were lucky draws, and things like where you buy something, and enter a raffle or something, I never bought anything.”

She hadn’t even realised the category existed

Shazia was surprised to learn she’d won in the Lucky Chance category, a prize she hadn’t paid much attention to while researching.
“I was really surprised because, in my head, that prize wasn’t there. I might have seen it a few times, but I never noticed what exactly it was,” Shazia said.

Her winnings are already earmarked with purpose: a portion will go towards her daughter’s education, another for her nieces and nephews, and some to charity.