Dubai resident wins Dh100K in UAE Lottery after 18 years – ‘It took a long time’

After 18 years of calling Dubai home, Alexander Thomas Schilg has finally had his big moment of luck. The dual German-Canadian citizen won Dh100,000 in the UAE Lottery’s Lucky Chance draw.

Schilg, who works in the shipping industry, said he wasn’t expecting the life-changing notification when he casually checked his account after the draw.

“I just checked my game stats on Sunday after the draw, and then that popping cloud came up: ‘Big Win’,” he said, smiling.

“I said: ‘Oh! Okay.’ And then I realised there was that number there.”

‘You can't win if you don't try’

The UAE Lottery, launched in November 2024, is the country’s first government-regulated lottery, operated by the Game under a licence from the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA). When the lottery was first announced, Schilg was thrilled by the idea of a transparent and officially licensed game.
“I was very happy to hear when it got official, so to speak, being regulated, with the UAE Government behind it,” he said.

Schilg noted to being thrilled with this unexpected windfall.
“You can't win if you don't try. I feel exhilarated. I mean it is obviously the biggest win I ever had in a setting like this,” he said. “It took a long time.”
The next draw will be held on September 6. To buy tickets, log on to https://www.theuaelottery.ae/.