UAE Lottery's Dh100-million win to be paid in a single transaction
The UAE Lottery has said that the recently won Dh100-million jackpot will be paid as a tax-free lump sum “in a single transaction, without deductions or installments”.
The country’s biggest-ever lottery win will be released after a strict verification and payout protocol that usually takes “several weeks from the time of the draw”, the UAE Lottery’s Commercial Gaming Director Scott Burton said.
In an interview, he said the process is designed to ensure transparency and security at every stage. “The winner is invited to our headquarters for an in-person meeting, where we verify their identity, complete the required documentation and walk them through the process in detail.”
“After that, all the documents are submitted for regulatory and banking approval and once cleared, the funds are transferred directly to the winner’s bank account,” he said.
Abu Dhabi resident Anilkumar Bolla matched all seven numbers in last month’s historic draw and became Dh100 million richer overnight.
After such a big win, the UAE Lottery doesn’t “just hand them a cheque” but helps winners handle the shock of sudden, public wealth
“Sudden wealth can bring both opportunity and responsibility, so our goal is to help our winners navigate it thoughtfully, whether that’s managing public attention, planning for the future, or adjusting to their new reality,” Burton said.
“We have a dedicated team that walks them through the process and adopts a very hands-on approach in guiding our winners to seek professional advice and support,” he added.
Verifying a Dh100-million win
Burton said while the process followed behind the scenes to confirm the win was governed by strict internationally benchmarked protocols: “this is just another day in the office for us.”
“The integrity of every draw is assured and audited independent of the prize amount, and our external auditor supervises each draw as it is conducted through certified random number generation systems, while the entire operation is overseen by the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA),” Burton said.
The controls were in place before the draw took place, and implemented as soon as officials discovered there was a match of all seven numbers, he added.
“It was pretty surreal, and a combination of high adrenaline and just pure happiness. The whole team was electric,” he recalled. “We immediately began the process of verifying the result and identifying the winner.”
Burton said the discovery led to questions amongst the team.
“There was some natural anticipation and curiosity as to who the winner was, and what their story was, and how they would react to hearing the news of this win,” Burton said. “It is exactly moments like these that remind us why we do what we do, to provide these real moments of happiness and life-changing impact.”
Responsible-play safeguards
As part of a package of responsible gaming tools that are available to all winners of major prizes in the UAE, The UAE Lottery is supporting the winner to navigate the “newfound attention that comes with being in the public eye for winning major prizes”.
This after Burton had explained that the platform is built around responsible play as they continue to manage a growing amount of excitement after the record-breaking prize.
“Responsible gaming is at the core of The UAE Lottery’s operations,” Burton said, listing responsible gambling features including spending limits, self-exclusion tools and educational resources.
The lottery is also working with Takalam, the UAE’s digital mental wellbeing platform, to provide additional emotional support when needed. All The UAE Lottery staff receive regular responsible gaming training, he said.
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