Kerala expat in UAE wins Dh150,000 in Big Ticket after 20 years of trying

Abu Dhabi: For Abyson Jacob, patience has finally paid off.

After two decades of hope and perseverance, the Indian expat from Kerala has won Dh150,000 in Big Ticket’s weekly e-draw.

Jacob, 46, a construction field surveyor based in Al Ain, has been living in the UAE since 2004 and has been buying Big Ticket entries every month for the past 20 years.

Jacob mistook prize call for a scam

His long-awaited moment arrived when ticket number 204700, shared with 11 other colleagues, was announced as a winner by show host Richard.

“When I got the call, I thought it was a scam,” Jacob said. “I’ve been trying for so long, I never imagined I’d actually win.”

20 years of buying raffle tickets

When Richard called him, Jacob initially couldn’t believe the news.

“Really? Are you joking? I can’t believe it. The draw is on July 3,” he told Richard, confused between the weekly e-draw and the Dh25 million grand prize draw scheduled for July 3. Once it was clarified, the realisation hit him – he had finally struck lucky.

“I don’t know what to say… Thank you very much,” Jacob said, becoming emotional. “I’ve been trying for the past 20 years.”

Jacob now dreams of winning Dh25 million

“It’s a 12-person ticket. We’ll split the prize. We’ll continue buying tickets together and hope to win the grand prize one day.”

With the Dh25 million grand prize draw set for July 3, Jacob remains hopeful.
“I hope so,” he said with a smile.
“My message to others: Keep trying. You never know which day may turn out to be your lucky one. One day, you will surely win.”