Dubai Expat Strikes it Big with AED 5 Million Win in UAE Lottery
Oct 01, 2026
The man in Dubai wins AED 5M
A man living in Dubai wins the AED 5 million second prize in the Wednesday Lucky Day draw of the UAE Lottery for the first time. The lucky player, a 39-year-old South African by the name of Branden Tekram, becomes the first second prize winner of the newly introduced midweek lottery schedule. This is indeed a historic event for the country’s only federally licensed lottery.
The Lucky Day draw has recently doubled the excitement by moving to a twice-a-week schedule–every Wednesday and Saturday–after gaining a lot of interest since its launch in late 2024. Tekram’s massive jackpot came mere weeks after the new format started. The winner says that he discovered his amazing fortune from a quick email glance.
“It just doesn’t seem real to me,” he confessed. “In fact, I’m a millionaire in Dubai!” Tekram revealed that he told his wife about it as she was preparing their son for school. They were so shocked that they didn’t talk for a moment and then they hugged very tightly. Later, his wife said that somehow he had “drawn this into his life,” and it is evident that this is the thought that stayed with him.
Regarding their future plans, Tekram shares that the family is not planning to indulge in extravagant spending sprees right away. They are taking a slow approach, first, they are going to help their wife’s project which she is passionate about and then they may consider buying a house. Also, with the winnings, they will be able to offer their son the best in speech therapy and educational support.
Lucky Day draws give out AED 30 million as the first prize, AED 5 million as the second, and three AED 50,000 Lucky Chance awards in each game. The price of each ticket is AED 50. However, apart from being managed by The Game LLC and being under the supervision of the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA), the UAE Lottery is still the only licensed and regulated lottery in the country — and is still expanding.
Might be interesting
Page contributors
Written by
Oliver Martin/Writer
Oliver Martin is our slot expert and casino content writer with five years of experience playing and reviewing iGaming products. He specializes in slot machines and casino news articles, with a diligent approach that provides value to readers wanting to try the games for themselves, including a review 2026 of the latest titles. Oliver keeps in touch with the latest gambling trends and regulations to deliver spotless and informative articles on localized gambling content.
Reviewed by
Charlotte Wilson/Reviewer
Charlotte Wilson is the brains behind our casino and slot review operations, with more than 10 years of experience in the industry. Her expertise lies in casino reviews carefully crafted from the player’s perspective. She developed a unique content creation system based on experience, expertise, and a passionate approach to iGaming innovations and updates.
Fact-checked by
Noah Taylor/Fact-checker
Noah Taylor is a one-man team that allows our content creators to work confidently and focus on their job, crafting exclusive and unique reviews. Once they are done, Noah takes over with this unique fact-checking approach based on factual details. He uses his PR skills to inquire about the main details with a support staff of online casino operators.
