UAE Lottery: Over 600,000 play since 2024 launch; nearly 250,000 win prizes
In the past 10 months alone, the UAE Lottery has gained more than 600,000 users which is rather impressive. This is after the company began selling their tickets at Adnoc petrol stations in the vicinity of Dubai.
A company official, exclaimed that the game is a means of increasing the wealth of many UAE residents. “We’ve honored three Dh1 million winners along with 168 winners of Dh100,000 with the Lucky Day, Lucky Chance, and Scratch Cards, and more than 247,119 winners overall,” said Bishop Woosley, Director of Lottery Operations at The Game which operates the UAE Lottery.
They continued to say that the retail outlets build on the momentum and increase the “ease” with which the public can gain access to the tickets. “Everybody has to stop at the petrol station at one point or other, either on their way to work or just roaming around the city,” he said. “We will position ourselves in busy locations, providing players with the most convenient way to take part in the lottery,” Woosley noted.
How locations were chosen
In Bishop's view, the petrol stations’ strategic locations stemmed from a variety of factors. “Business Bay was a natural choice considering its closeness to downtown Dubai and the DIFC where there is a high concentration of offices and corporate employment,” he commented.
“Al Quoz helps us to service players who work in and around the busy industrial areas and Jebel Ali provides a key location at the intersection of Dubai and Abu Dhabi which is a useful stopping point for travellers. These three locations together provide a solid and varied platform to continue expanding our presence in the area and gather useful information.
The company also rolled out several other games for a quick win to continue their outreach to the residents of the UAE. Last month, the UAE Lottery introduced four more Scratch Cards for residents of the UAE where players will stand a chance to win up to 1 million dirhams with the purchase of a single ticket with prices ranging between 5 to 50 dirhams.”
He mentioned that although different locations and new games have been added, the target audience has still remained the same. “The demographic does not change, as the game is designed for players above the age of 18 living in the UAE. Adding petrol stations enhances accessibility and attracts people who appreciate more physically interactive options, offering them an alternative way to engage in digital as well as physical interactions.”
Responsible gaming
He also said that preventing underage participation is one of the primary focuses of the company’s Responsible Gaming Framework. “At the Adnoc stations, we have instituted strict measures and protocols, and have trained personnel on location, ”He said. “We have also ensured that a compliance sign is available at the stations which makes it a requirement that participation in the UAE Lottery Retail Express is for players who are 18 years and above”.
The company has focused on tracking every player behavior since the inception of the company. An official at the company said that player behavior and discussions were under tight supervision.
The company is said to be focusing on players protection in every aspect of their work. “We want to be the first and the best in the region in responsible gaming and that is why we are continuously improving tools and supporting systems. Player education, welfare and protection is the primary focus and it is done in a manner that is compatible to the culture of the UAE,” he said. “These efforts are even more strengthened by the day to day scrutiny of the GCGRA on our operations. This starts from approval of the operating controls, frequent audits, and general supervision of the operations.”
Expansion of retail operations
As explained by Bishop, they aim to start retail operations in certain phases, while the lottery plans to incorporate an expansion of dedicated locations. "HWe aim to greatly improve our plans to enhance the range of retail channels and diversify the touchpoints at which tickets are sold," he said. "We have consistently noted the desire among players for greater ease of access to tickets. We keep our hand on the pulse, and we continuously look for pathways to evolution and improvement in our offering.”
“Adding new games brings more participation opportunities, the participation experience more seamless, and definitely much more engaging,” and that'll be coupled with some other retail format updates which Popov was vague on and said would come out in due time.”
Comments