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Kerala expat wins Dh25,000 in weekly e-draw after buying Big Ticket for 10 years
The 55-year-old Ajman resident shared that he plans to dedicate the winnings to his wife and let her decide how the amount will be used
- PUBLISHED: Fri 22 May 2026, 1:31 PM
Four winners from Bangladesh and India received Dh25,000 each on Big Ticket's second weekly e-draw for May.
One of the winners is Helvin Antony from Kerala, who has been participating in Big Ticker for more than 10 years. The 55-year-old manager received the call while sitting beside his wife at home in Ajman.
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Helvin shared that he plans to dedicate the winnings to his wife and let her decide how the amount will be used.
Another winner is Bangladeshi expat Nantu Dey, who has been working in Fujairah for the past 42 years. "I am very happy, this win has given me the confidence to hope for even more."
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The 60-year-old manager plans to put the prize money towards more tickets, inspired by his win to keep trying for the bigger prizes. Since hearing the news, he has already been encouraging all his friends to give Big Ticket a try.
'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 buying Big Ticket entries every month for the past five years as part of a large group of 50 people.
"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 plans for the money.
Meanwhile, Shony George, a 35-year-old accountant from Kerala, said he was completely caught off guard 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 19th. I had actually bought the ticket the evening before, May 18th at 8.40pm.”
Living in the UAE with his family for the past 10 years, he has been purchasing Big Ticket entries for some time. However, he became a regular participant over the last two years, taking part alongside a group of six friends.
He added that the winning ticket had been selected completely at random. Speaking about his plans, Shony shared that the group intends to split the cash prize, while he hopes to use his share to buy a special gift for his family. He also confirmed that they plan to continue participating in future Big Ticket draws.
How much is Big Ticket's grand prize?
The grand prize stands at Dh20 million, to be awarded during the live draw on June 3.
Customers who purchase two tickets from May 1 to 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 set to receive Dh25,000. The draws are streamed live at 11am 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 across official counters in the UAE, including Zayed International Airport, Mohamed Bin Zayed City, Morafiq Mussafah, and the new store at Morafiq City Check-In in Al Ain.
