UAE: How raffle millionaires picked their winning numbers

People have a specific formulas they follow when participating in a draw. Some believe that their family’s birthday gets them luck, some chose the numbers randomly, and some chose the date, month, and year on the day they participate.

Winning Dh 5 million with family birth dates

The recent 88th Mahzooz Grand Draw saw a worker taking home Dh5 million. Nelson has been participating in the Mahzooz Draw for the last 18 months with the same set of numbers, which are the birth dates of his family members. “My date of birth is 7; while my wife’s is 9, daughter’s 17, son’s 19, and the youngest son’s, 21,” said Nelson.

Nelson’s friends and family members were aware of his lucky number and when he won his friends and family members were first to know. “I had no knowledge that I had won. I learned about it when my friends and wife called me up to inform me as they knew about the numbers I participate with usually,” said Nelson.

Nelson shared the winning amount of Dh 10 million with Shanavas as their numbers matched. They heard about each other for the first time when the results were announced.

Selecting random numbers

However, Shanavas selects his numbers randomly. “I have been participating in the draws for a long time and I use different numbers every time I participate,” said Shahnavas.

The two participants’ lives changed overnight after matching five out of the five winning numbers, which were 7,9,17,19,21.

Many participants select random numbers each time they participate. They say that they select the number that first appears in their mind.

Such was the case with French-Tunisian national Hamdi, a local TV producer in Abu Dhabi, who became a multi-millionaire overnight after winning the Mahzooz's Grand Prize of Dh10 million in the 56th weekly live Mahzooz Grand Draw.

Hamdi, who became the 20th millionaire of the Mahzooz Draw, matching five winning numbers, said he used to participate at least once a month but never won anything. "I select the numbers that first appear in my mind during selection. It was luck that favoured me this time. I could never imagine winning this big amount," he said.

Lottery ticket matching son’s birthday

For Thedsinamoorthy Meenachisundram, the winning numbers in the Big Ticket’s weekly electronic draw matched his son’s birthday.

Meenachisundram a Dubai-based Indian expat won Dh500,000 in a raffle draw with ticket number: 065245 on May 2, after returning from vacation in India and spending time with his wife and baby.

“My son will turn a year old on May 24. His date of birth is 24-5-2021. Since 24 and 5 were the last three digits on a particular ticket, I selected it,” said Meenachisundram.

Meenachisundram has been living in the UAE for the past nine years and has been purchasing Big Ticket for the past five years, hoping that I will get lucky one day. He usually purchases a ticket with contributions from his friends and brother. Surprisingly, the day he won; he was the only contributor to the ticket.

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