Solo winner: Indian expat in Dubai wins Dh100K Big Ticket after years of trying

A Dubai-based Indian expat’s patience and perseverance finally paid off as he won Dh100,000 in Big Ticket’s weekly e-draw.
Minnaleswaran Sakthi Vinayagam, a 40-year-old accommodation in-charge from Chennai, scooped the prize with ticket number 125483 in Series 282, making his years of hope-filled participation worth it.

Vinayagam has called Dubai home for the past two decades, and for the last four to five years, he has faithfully been purchasing Big Ticket entries every month – always believing his moment would come.
That faith turned into fortune in December. And when show host Richard called to deliver the life-changing news, the usually calm expat could only manage a stunned, “Ok, thank you very much,” still processing the magnitude of what had just happened. Asked whether he shared the ticket with anyone, Vinayagam was quick to clarify that he had bought it solo. “No, I bought it alone,” he said.

As the reality of his win slowly sank in, the soft-spoken winner couldn’t hide his joy. “When I got the winning call, I was so, so happy,” he said, still buzzing with excitement. While he hasn’t decided how exactly he’ll use the prize money just yet, one thing is certain – he’s not done dreaming big.

“I will definitely keep buying more tickets,” he said with a smile, hopeful that lightning might just strike twice.
Vinayagam’s lucky ticket is now in the drum for the Dh30 million grand prize draw, which will be held on Saturday.