Dubai: In a fairy-tale twist straight out of Bollywood dreams, 29-year-old Anil Kumar Bolla Madhavrao from South India has become the first-ever winner of the UAE Lottery’s staggering Dh100 million (about ₹226 crore) jackpot, rewriting his life with a single digital ticket.
Announced via a dramatic video on Monday, the historic win unfolded during the Lucky Day Draw on October 18. Defying odds of 1 in 8.8 million, Anil’s modest Dh100 (roughly ₹2,460) entry turned him into an overnight sensation. “I still can’t believe it… one ticket changed my entire life,” he gushed, his voice laced with disbelief and joy.
Launched as the UAE’s new national lottery system, Lucky Day Draw offers seamless digital tickets assigned random numbers that auto-enter future draws. A software picks winners transparently — no manual picks or hassles like the old Big Ticket Abu Dhabi, which cost Dh500 per entry. Best of all? Prizes are tax-free, announced live or recorded for authenticity.
But Anil wasn’t the sole star that night. Ten other lucky souls pocketed Dh100,000 (around ₹24 lakh) each. Since its debut, the lottery has minted over 200 such winners, disbursing a whopping Dh147 million (₹343 crore) to more than a lakh participants.
From humble roots to unimaginable riches, Anil’s story is a beacon for every ticket-holder nursing grand hopes. What’s next for the new crorepati — philanthropy, a dream home, or just savouring the surreal?