'Everything happens for a reason': How mother's birth date helped Kerala man win Rs 240 crore lottery jackpot in UAE

A 29-year-old Indian expatriate from Kerala has become a multimillionaire after winning the UAE’s largest-ever lottery prize of 100 million dirhams (around Rs 240 crore).

The winner, Anilkumar Bolla, who lives in Abu Dhabi, matched all seven numbers in the 23rd Lucky Day Draw held last week, according to a report by Khaleej Times. The odds of winning were said to be 1 in 8.8 million.

Bolla revealed that he used the “Easy Pick” option to generate most of the numbers on his ticket. However, he chose the number 11 himself to honour his mother’s birthday. “I was in shock. I was sitting on the sofa, and I’m just feeling that, yes, I won it,” Bolla said in a video shared by the UAE Lottery.

He had purchased 12 tickets for the draw, each costing Dh50 (approximately Rs 1,285). His selection made him the first-ever winner of a Dh100 million jackpot in the country’s lottery history, Gulf News reported.

When he received the call confirming his win, Bolla said he was “completely shocked and overjoyed.” A regular player since the lottery began, he said the moment changed his life. “After winning this amount, I felt like I had money. Now, I need to work on my thoughts in the right way, and I want to do something big,” he said.

Plans to fulfil parents’ dreams

Bolla said his biggest wish is to bring his parents to the UAE and fulfil all their dreams. “My dad and parents have very small dreams and I want to fulfil all their dreams. I want to take care of them,” he said.
He added that he plans to buy a luxury car and celebrate the win with his family at a resort. “I just want to take my family to the UAE, and I want to enjoy my whole life staying with them,” he said.

Giving back through charity

Bolla also intends to donate part of his winnings to charity. “I do have a plan to donate some of the money to charity. Because I believe that donations will reach out to the people who will really require the money. So that gives me core happiness,” he said.

Sharing a message for others, he added, “I believe that everything happens for a reason. I suggest to each and every player to keep playing, and for sure, one day luck will come to you.”

Since its launch, the UAE Lottery has produced over 200 winners of Dh100,000 or more, and more than 100,000 participants have collectively claimed over Dh147 million in prizes, according to Khaleej Times.