UAE Lottery reveals first name of Dh100 million jackpot winner

Dubai: The UAE Lottery has offered the first glimpse into the identity of its historic Dh100 million jackpot winner, sparking widespread speculation across social media platforms about the incredibly lucky resident's background.

The UAE Lottery website identifies the winner as Anilkum** B**, in line with the operator's policy of revealing only a sneak peek into names of all winners with big prizes. Winners of several other categories of games are also posted in the same format on the website.

In the case of the jackpot winner, a special design describes it as ‘Super Win’ with an artwork that includes a celebratory confetti popping up. The winner's name is given among the winners of the Lucky Day draw of October 18.

Social media buzzes

Social media users, seemingly those who take part in the UAE Lottery and are familiar with the announcement pattern on the website, have highlighted his name on different platforms.

Some have also posted that Anil is most likely an Indian expat and probably hails from the south Indian state of Kerala, apparently because Anil is a common name in India and there are several residents with this name from Kerala. There are more than a million Keralites estimated to be living in the UAE.

The historic win was announced on Saturday night following the 23rd draw, when the incredibly fortunate UAE resident matched all seven winning numbers — 7, 10, 11, 18, 25, 29 in the Days' set and 11 in the Months' set.

Verification underway

The UAE Lottery issued an official statement on Sunday confirming that its first-ever Dh100 million Grand Prize has been won, marking a historic moment for the country's entertainment and gaming landscape.

"It's official, The UAE Lottery's first Dh100 million Grand Prize has been won, and verification is now underway!" the operator announced in the statement.

"The UAE Lottery is delighted to confirm this historic milestone for our winner, our organisation, and the UAE's entertainment and gaming landscape," it pointed out.

However, the full identity of the lucky winner remains under wraps as the operator follows standard procedures before making any official announcement about the full details of the winner or awarding the life-changing prize.

Record-breaking prize

The Dh100 million prize represents the largest-ever lottery jackpot to be awarded in the UAE, with odds of winning standing at 1 in 8,835,372.

According to the UAE Lottery, more than 100,000 players have won and over Dh40 million have been distributed in prizes in the Lucky Day draw so far.

Only UAE residents aged 18 and above are eligible to play, win, and claim any prize in the Lucky Day draw, which takes place every other Saturday at 8.30pm UAE time.

By paying just Dh50 and choosing just seven numbers, Lucky Day draw offers a chance to change one's life with the Dh100 million Grand Prize, seven guaranteed Dh100,000 prizes through the Lucky Chance ID and much more.

According to the UAE Lottery's policies, prizes exceeding Dh100,000 must be claimed in person, with winners required to contact support@theuaelottery.ae or call 800 2365. Large prizes are typically paid within 30 days of successful validation, provided the winner meets all eligibility criteria.

Due diligence process

The UAE Lottery on Sunday said it is conducting due diligence to meet internal checks, security protocols, and regulatory authority compliance requirements before revealing the winner.

"As part of our standard operating procedures, we are conducting due diligence to ensure that all internal checks, security protocols, and General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority compliance requirements are fulfilled before further details on our winner are shared and the prize is awarded," the statement read.

"Responsible gaming, player safety, and operational transparency remain at the heart of everything we do. Safeguarding the integrity of our draws and maintaining the trust of all players continue to be our highest priorities," it added.

The UAE Lottery assured it will share more details about the lucky winner once all verification steps have been finalised.