Indian expat wins Dh150,000 after his very first Big Ticket purchase
Another winner from Kerala to share Dh140,000 with 21 colleagues after 10 years of trying
Abu Dhabi: He created his Big Ticket account just a month ago, bought his first ticket as part of a group of friends and walked away with Dh150,000. For Indian expat Lovie Preet Singh, luck did not take long to arrive.
Originally from Punjab, and currently based in Bahrain, Lovie was one of four winners in Big Ticket's Series 287 Big Win Contest, where participants from the UAE, India and Lebanon shared a combined cash prize of Dh590,000.
His winning ticket, number 135709, was purchased online during the first week of May, as part of a group of 10 friends.
He then flew down to Abu Dhabi and participated in the Big Win Contest in the Big Ticket studio with the help of a friend on the call during the live draw.
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"I never expected my very first purchase to lead to such a rewarding outcome," said Lovie.
He said that he was overjoyed by the win, especially given how recently he had joined.
The prize money will be shared among the group of 10 friends.
Lovie said it will help ease some existing financial commitments that members are dealing with.
He encouraged others to keep trying, noting that luck can come when least expected.
Former Dubai resident wins
Another winner in the same contest is Abhilash Uthaman, a 38-year-old mechanical supervisor from Kerala, India, who has been living in Qatar with his family for the past five years.
Abhilash is a former Dubai resident. He had started participating in Big Ticket a decade ago when he was based here. He continued buying tickets even after relocating to Qatar.
Abhilash is part of a group of 22 colleagues, and this is the first time the group has struck lucky, landing a prize of Dh140,000 to be shared among them.
He also made the trip to Abu Dhabi in person to witness the draw live and take part in the Big Win Contest. "I was very happy to be there, it was truly a moment I will never forget," he said.
He plans to spend his share of the prize on his family and is already looking forward to the next draw.
The other two winners
Lovie and Abhilash are two of four winners from the Big Win Contest in Big Ticket Series 287.
Majed Albert Ghulmiyyah, a 79-year-old retired Lebanese expat who has lived in the UAE for 55 years and has been buying Big Ticket every month for over two decades, took home Dh150,000.
Also winning Dh150,000 was Jassim Mohammad Obaid Alyassi, a 47-year-old Emirati working at Dubai Customs, for whom it was a first-ever win after participating independently online for more than three years.
