Expat, 35, wins Dh100,000 twice in first two UAE Lottery plays, enters third draw

Dubai: A Lebanese expat in the UAE has defied astronomical odds by winning Dh100,000 not once, but twice in the September draws — and that too in his first two attempts at playing the UAE Lottery.

Anthony El Ghaoui, 35, is now awaiting the results of his third draw with the same confidence that saw him predict his second win.

"I played for the first time, my very first time playing the UAE Lottery, and won Dh100,000. The second time I played, I won another Dh100,000," El Ghaoui told Gulf News in an exclusive interview.

"I've already entered the next draw, which will be my third time,” he said with the same hope that he had when he won the first time.

His remarkable winning streak began with an equally remarkable prediction. After collecting his first prize in the September 6 draw, El Ghaoui made an ambitious statement during his interview with the UAE Lottery team that would prove prophetic.

"I even told the UAE Lottery team, 'I'll be sitting with you again at the next award ceremony,'" recalled El Ghaoui, who has been a UAE resident for six years.

And he did exactly that after the September 20 draw, it has now been revealed.

Same ritual, same result

Both wins unfolded in an identical fashion that has now become El Ghaoui's personal tradition. He did not watch the live draw, preferring instead to log into his account on Sunday mornings for what he called "the surprise."

"When I see the fireworks animation and the word 'Congratulations', it's the best feeling ever," he said.

"I've seen it twice already... now I'm chasing the third!"

The first time he won, he found the congratulations message. “I asked myself, is it true or not? Let me check again. I logged out and logged in and refreshed the page. I found out that the amount was still the same with ‘big win.’”

In his first interview, he said he would keep the prize for the education of his daughter, who had just started school.

“Is it possible to win and then win again? It is! So, of course I will play in every draw and try my luck,” he said before leaving the studio, sharing his prophetic words.

The telltale expression

The second win came with an astonishing twist. On the Sunday morning after his second draw, El Ghaoui and his wife decided to check their accounts together, as she had also entered the draw. She discovered she had won Dh300 and celebrated enthusiastically. Then came his turn.

"I opened my account and saw a pop-up: 'Congratulations!' I honestly thought it was still there from my previous win," El Ghaoui said.
"But when I looked again, checked my balance and the results, I realised…no, the first prize was already collected... this was another Dh100,000 that was not claimed yet!"

He tried to contain his reaction, but his wife read his face immediately. "I was completely shocked and incredibly happy. I didn't say anything right away. But my wife saw the expression on my face, which I just couldn't hide, and she jumped up and said, 'We won! We won!'" he recounted.

"I told her, 'I didn't even say anything yet, how did you know?' She said, 'I knew you're lucky, and we're going to win again.'"

Second honeymoon plan

With his second win, El Ghaoui has romantic plans. "I'm going to buy my wife a new car and take her on a second honeymoon to the Maldives, the same place we went for our first honeymoon," he revealed.

But his ambitions extend far beyond personal rewards. Working in the aesthetics industry, El Ghaoui has a vision for what he would do if he won the Dh100 million Grand Prize.

“When I win the Grand Prize, I plan to make big investments and take on big opportunities," he said.
"I want to create something where everyone can access treatments for free, even though it'll cost me money. But I want to do it to help people. That's how I can give back, through my work, by offering treatments to those who need them most."

Spreading the word

Despite keeping the news within his immediate family, El Ghaoui has become an unlikely evangelist for trying one's luck. "When I talk to people I don't even know, at a café, a security guard, or someone I meet, I tell them my story and how I won twice," he said.
"I encourage them to try their luck by visiting the UAE Lottery website or following the social media pages."

Philosophy of balance

His approach to lottery playing is cautious and practical. "Budgeting is really important as life is about balance. You shouldn't spend all your money on lottery tickets and just hope for luck. That's not smart," El Ghaoui advised.

"You should set a small budget and say, 'Okay, I'll try with this amount.' Don't overdo it and don't avoid it completely either. Because you never know what could happen."

He even suggests pooling resources for those on tight budgets. "If some people don't have enough money for tickets, there are still ways to try. They can team up, pool money together, maybe Dh5 each. If they win, they can split the prize."

Drawing an everyday comparison, he added: "It's such a small amount, like buying a pizza. So instead of buying that pizza, spend the money on a ticket and maybe win Dh100,000 or more!"

Lucky Day preference

While El Ghaoui has experimented with other UAE Lottery games including Scratch Cards, Pick 3, and Pick 4, he believes he's found his sweet spot. "I feel like Lucky Day is where my luck really is," he said.

As for the grand prize, his confidence remains unshaken. "And what if I win Dh100 million? What would I do? The question is not if! It's when!" said the optimistic winner.

"Dare to dream. Dare to imagine. And trust me, one day you can win, just like I did,” he added.