The 55-year-old Ajman resident said he plans to dedicate the winnings to his wife and allow her to decide how the money will be used.
Winners from Bangladesh and India each received Dh25,000 in Big Ticket’s second weekly e-draw for May.
Among them is Helvin Antony from Kerala, who has been participating in Big Ticket for over 10 years. The 55-year-old manager received the winning call while sitting at home in Ajman beside his wife.
Helvin said he plans to dedicate the winnings to his wife and allow her to decide how the money will be used.
Another winner, Bangladeshi expat Nantu Dey, who has been working in Fujairah for the past 42 years, said, “I am very happy; this win has given me the confidence to hope for even more.”
The 60-year-old manager plans to use the prize money to buy more tickets, motivated by his win to continue trying for bigger prizes. Since receiving the news, he has also been encouraging his friends to try Big Ticket.
“I was very surprised”
For Dubai-based sales manager Girishkumar Parayanthazhathu, the win turned into a celebration shared with 50 people.
Originally from Kerala, Girishkumar has been living in Dubai since 2003 and has been purchasing Big Ticket entries every month for the past five years as part of a 50-member group.
“I was very surprised; it is a great feeling that I really did not expect,” he said.
Since the prize will be split equally among all 50 members, the group is still discussing how the winnings will be used.
Meanwhile, 35-year-old accountant Shony George from Kerala said he was completely taken aback by the winning call.
“I initially thought it was just a promotional call from the Big Ticket team, so I was completely caught off guard when Bouchra informed me that I had won. I was so surprised that when she asked me when I purchased the ticket, I got confused and mentioned the day of the e-draw instead, May 19. I had actually bought the ticket the evening before, May 18 at 8:40 pm,” he said.
Living in the UAE with his family for the past 10 years, he has been participating in Big Ticket for some time, becoming a regular over the last two years alongside a group of six friends.
He added that the winning ticket was selected completely at random. Shony said the group plans to split the cash prize, while he intends to use his share to buy a special gift for his family. He also confirmed they will continue participating in future draws.
Big Ticket grand prize
The grand prize stands at Dh20 million, to be awarded during the live draw on June 3.
Customers who purchase two tickets between May 1 and 24 are also eligible for the Big Win Contest, where four selected entrants will be invited to the June 3 live draw for a chance to win up to Dh150,000 each.
Two more weekly e-draws remain in May, with four winners each receiving Dh25,000. The draws are streamed live at 11 am on the Big Ticket YouTube channel.
The campaign also includes the Dream Car Series, featuring a Range Rover Velar on June 3 and a BMW X6 on July 3.
Tickets are available online and at official counters across the UAE, including Zayed International Airport, Mohamed Bin Zayed City, Morafiq Mussafah, and the Morafiq City Check-In store in Al Ain.
