‘First win in seven years’: Kerala taxi driver in UAE wins 24K gold bar with free Big Ticket entry

Luck has finally smiled on a Kerala expat in Abu Dhabi and it came in glittering gold.

Pramode, a 43-year-old taxi driver who has been living in the UAE capital since 2011, struck gold after winning a 250g 24K gold bar worth Dh120,000 in Big Ticket’s weekly e-draw. The winning entry? A free ticket from the promotion’s ‘Buy One, Get One Free’ offer.

His ticket number 372378 was announced during the live show, and when host Richard called, Pramode instantly recognised the voice.
“Is it Big Ticket? Am I live right now? Ok, sir, it’s great,” he exclaimed, still unsure if it was real.

Pramode, who was in the middle of dropping off passengers, tried to open YouTube to check the live draw but couldn’t access it. Then came the confirmation from Richard: he had won gold worth Dh120,000.
“Oh my God! Really? I am very happy. Thank you,” he said, overcome with emotion.

For the past seven years, Pramode has been pooling money with 10 friends every month to buy Big Ticket entries. Despite never winning before, he stayed hopeful and it paid off through the bonus ticket.
“When I realised we had won, I couldn’t believe it. I’ve been trying for seven years, and this was my first win,” he said, adding that his family back home in Kerala was overjoyed.

But the win isn’t making him stop anytime soon.
“My friends and I will keep participating in Big Ticket promotions. My message to everyone is simple: keep trying, your moment could come when you least expect it.”