UAE Lottery’s second Dh30 million winner, Indian expat Sunil Kumar Sadasivan, reveals how he hit the jackpot

Abu Dhabi: The second Dh30 million Grand Prize winner of The UAE Lottery's Lucky Day Draw, Sunil Kumar Sadasivan, the 52-year-old Indian expat residing in Abu Dhabi, is a maintenance technician from Kerala, the lottery operator announced on Monday.

He hit the jackpot after choosing numbers tied to the three dates that matter most to him: his own birthday, and those of his wife and daughter, it was also revealed.

Rather than picking numbers at random, Sunil Kumar decided to let love guide his choice this time. "I thought, why not use the dates that matter most to me? I started with my daughter's birthday, then added mine, then my wife's birthday," he said.

That decision, made on a Wednesday with a friend he had only recently started playing alongside, delivered the Dh30 million Grand Prize. Their first Wednesday ticket had won a modest Dh100 the week before; encouraged, they tried again, and the second ticket changed everything.

Sunil Kumar discovered the win while unwinding in his room after a work shift. "I checked my phone around 9:45 pm, after the draw. I had only expected a small prize. When I saw the winning numbers, I was in complete shock."

Struggling to believe what he was seeing, he rushed to show a friend the ticket. Once it sank in that the win was real, the first person he called was his wife. "My wife has no big desires — her wish has always been to live an ordinary life. When we won this amount, she asked, 'What will we do?' We come from an ordinary family, so we believe we should do whatever we can for other people," said Sunil Kumar.

His daughter, now seven, was born after 12 years of hope and expensive treatment that left the family in financial difficulties, making the numbers tied to her birth, deeply personal to this win.

“If my daughter is watching this, I want her to know that her father and mother have lived and waited for her. My biggest dream is to educate my daughter and see her become a doctor one day,” Sunil Kumar said.

For him, the win is about far more than the prize money; it's about creating joyful moments for the family he has worked so hard to support. "Once I get the money, first I'll go and buy a gift for my daughter," he said, reflecting on the simple but meaningful way he hopes to celebrate this milestone with his family.

With the win behind him, Sunil Kumar now plans to complete the construction of his family home and take a well-earned step back from work. "I've worked since I was young. Now, I'll take some rest."

But his plans extend beyond his own household. In a reflection of how every win is creating incredible moments not just for winners, but for the people around them also, he said: "There are a few people I know who don't have homes, and I would like to build houses for them.”

"The UAE Lottery is a trustworthy platform. We can't be sure when the opportunity comes, so everyone should give it a try," he added.

Lucky Day Draws take place every Wednesday and Saturday at 9:30pm, giving players the chance to win the Dh30 million Grand Prize, the Dh5 million Second Prize, and three guaranteed Dh50,000 Lucky Chance prizes, every draw.

The UAE Lottery said it remains committed to responsible gaming, ensuring a safe, transparent, and regulated experience for all participants. All games are fully regulated by the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA).