(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

When Abu Dhabi resident Anilkumar Bolla bought 12 Lucky Day tickets for the October 18 draw, he had no idea that one of them would quietly rewrite his life. The 29-year-old Indian IT professional became the UAE's only Dh100-million jackpot winne, beating odds of 1 in 8.8 million to match all seven numbers in the exact winning combination.

Now, with just days left before the final Dh100-million Lucky Day draw on Saturday, November 29, under the current format, his win is drawing fresh attention for how it happened and what it means for players hoping to take their last shot at the country's biggest prize.

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Anilkumar had been playing the UAE Lottery since its launch, sometimes regularly and sometimes skipping a month or two. For the winning draw, he purchased 12 entries, using Easy Pick for his“Days” numbers and deliberately selecting 11 in the“Months” section to honour his mother's birth month. One of those combinations changed everything.

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He was at home, sitting on his sofa, when he received the life-changing call from the UAE Lottery. Shocked, he“had some water” to calm down before celebrating quietly.“It was an unforgettable moment,” he said later. He first told a close colleague - who didn't believe him until he checked the UAE Lottery website and saw Anilkumar's name among the winners.

'Every entry has a chance'

According to the UAE Lottery, Anilkumar's win underscores the message it is emphasising ahead of the final Dh100-million draw: Every ticket, no matter how it was chosen, has an equal shot.

“While winning the Dh100 million Grand Prize is extraordinary, every draw is based on chance... We could see another major win at any time,” Scott Burton, the UAE Lottery's Commercial Gaming Director, told Khaleej Times after the jackpot was claimed in October.

He stressed that the odds remain constant even after someone hits the jackpot.“Each draw is completely independent, meaning every ticket stands the chance of winning, regardless of when or how often someone plays.”

For Lucky Day, the probability of matching all seven numbers is 1 in 8,835,372 - significantly better than many global lotteries.“For context, the odds of winning the jackpot in the UK Lotto is about 1 in 45 million,” Burton said.

Participation surges

The Dh100-million payout has fuelled a sharp rise in participation. Burton confirmed a surge in new registrations, with former players returning as well.“This win didn't just attract new players - it re-engaged many existing users,” he said.

The draw that made Anilkumar a multimillionaire also produced 10 other winners of Dh100,000, and a more recent draw created another Dh1-million winner, reinforcing the idea that major wins occur across tiers.

Since launch, the UAE Lottery has created more than 100,000 winners, including over 200 winners of Dh100,000, and has paid out more than Dh147 million.

Last chance under current format

As it announced a revamp to the Lucky Day draw, the UAE Lottery stressed the significance of the final Dh100-million jackpot in its current form, saying that the November 29 draw“represents the last chance for participants to win the dream-fulfilling Dh100 million Grand Prize”.

And major wins haven't stopped at the jackpot. The same draw that made Anilkumar Dh100 million richer produced 10 other winners of Dh100,000, and the most recent draw before the final week created another Dh1-million winner.

Since its launch, the UAE Lottery has created more than 100,000 winners, including over 200 winners of Dh100,000, with total payouts exceeding Dh147 million.

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