Dh30 million UAE Lottery announces new rules: How to win jackpot, when to split prizes

Dubai: The UAE Lottery has announced new rules after transforming its Lucky Day draw with a new weekly format and refreshed prize structure, bringing players more frequent chances to win.

The revamped game, which begins tomorrow, December 6, features a Dh30 million jackpot, an enhanced Dh5 million second prize, and version 2 of rules on how to play and win.

Under the new format, both top prizes will be split if there are multiple winners unlike in the old format in which only the previous Dh100 million jackpot was set for sharing in the event of multiple winners.

Here is all you need to know about the odds of winning each prize tier and set realistic expectations before purchasing a ticket for Dh50.

Weekly draws, ticket sales

The Lucky Day draw now takes place every Saturday at 8.30pm UAE time, replacing the previous fortnightly schedule.

Sales are suspended during a 1.5-hour window from 7pm to 8.30pm on draw nights to allow the live event to proceed. Once the draw concludes at 8.30pm, ticket sales resume immediately for the following week's draw, continuing until 7pm the next Saturday.

Players may also purchase tickets for multiple consecutive draws based on availability on the website of the UAE Lottery.

How to play

Participating in Lucky Day continues to require selecting six numbers from the 'Days' section, ranging from 1 to 31, representing your lucky days. Additionally, you must choose one number from the 'Months' section, ranging from 1 to 12, representing your lucky month.

Each ticket purchase generates a Lucky Chance ID automatically. It is a unique code consisting of two uppercase letters followed by seven digits, such as AZ1377268, for example.

This ID provides an additional opportunity to win Dh100,000 in a separate raffle draw during the Lucky Day livestream on YouTube.

In the new format of Lucky Day, there will be three guaranteed winners with Lucky Chance ID for the Dh100,000 raffle every Saturday. Previously the biweekly draw chose seven Lucky Chance ID winners.

The winning Lucky Chance IDs are announced during the live draw and published on the UAE Lottery's official website.

Winning the jackpot

To win the Dh30 million jackpot, all seven numbers you selected—six from 'Days' and one from 'Months'—must match the draw results. The UAE Lottery has maintained the odds of achieving the Grand Prize and other prizes in the new format.

The odds of hitting the jackpot hence remain at 1 in 8,835,372. In the one year history of the UAE Lottery, only one player has achieved this. Indian expat Anilkumar Bolla, a 29-year-old IT professional in Abu Dhabi, remains the only winner of the Dh100 million jackpot in the previous format of Lucky Day draw.

If multiple players hold winning tickets, the new Dh30 million jackpot will be divided equally among all eligible winners. This means if two people win, each receives Dh15 million; if three win, each gets Dh10 million, and so on.

Splitting the second prize

The second prize follows the same sharing principle now, unlike in the previous format where every second prize winner could claim the entire Dh1 million prize. However, there was no record of multiple players winning the Dh1m second prize in the previous format.

To claim the new Dh5 million second prize, all six numbers from the 'Days' section must match, regardless of the 'Months' number. The odds here are 1 in 803,216. Like the jackpot, this prize now splits evenly if multiple tickets qualify.

Other prize tiers

The third prize awards Dh100,000 to players who match five 'Days' numbers plus the 'Months' number, with odds of 1 in 58,902. The maximum payout set for this prize is Dh15 million. That means a maximum of 150 winners can claim this prize.

Fourth prize winners receive Dh1,000 by matching either five 'Days' numbers alone or four 'Days' numbers plus the 'Months' number—odds stand at 1 in 1,437. The maximum payout set for this prize is Dh6.5 million, allowing a total of up to 6,5000 winners in this category.

The fifth prize, worth Dh100, offers the most accessible winning opportunity with odds of 1 in 12.1. Players qualify by matching three 'Days' numbers plus 'Months', two 'Days' plus 'Months', one 'Day' plus 'Months', or even just the 'Months' number alone.

A whopping Dh100 million has been allocated as the maximum payout which allows a total of up to one million winners to claim the prize.

One prize per entry

A crucial rule states that each entry can win only once per draw. If your numbers qualify for multiple prize tiers simultaneously, you receive only the highest prize.

For example, if your ticket matches criteria for both fourth and fifth prizes, you win the fourth prize of Dh1,000, not both. The sole exception occurs when a player wins in both the main draw and the Lucky Chance raffle—in this scenario, both prizes are awarded.

Ticket pricing and limits

Each Lucky Day entry costs Dh50, including 5% VAT. The maximum transaction limit is Dh5,000 per order, allowing players to purchase up to 20 entries across five consecutive draws.

The consecutive draws feature enables participants to use the same number combination for multiple upcoming draws. Players seeking convenience can use the 'Easy Pick' or 'Quick Buy' option, which randomly generates numbers automatically.

Return to player

The average return to player percentage stands at 42.62 per cent, excluding VAT, plus the Lucky Chance prize. This figure represents the portion of ticket revenue returned to players as prizes over time.

The game format ensures structured prize distribution while maintaining the excitement of weekly draws and multiple winning opportunities for UAE residents above 18 years.