UAE prize draws are suspended. How easy is it to grab the coveted jackpot?

Raffles and prize draws have been a big thing in the Emirates, luring thousands of participants hoping to grab the coveted top spot. But the dreams of many have been put on hold now as operators are instructed to pause business inside the country.

Previously, scores of people have been able to get anything up to Dh200 million and companies such as Mahzooz, Big Ticket, Emirates Draw and Dubai Duty Free used to play central roles. But the current move has forced many to suspend their activities.

Mahzooz and Emirates Draw have confirmed the suspension, but Big Ticket and Dubai Duty Free continue to sell tickets. So, as hopefuls can no longer buy the famous tickets, let’s understand how common is it for a participant to walk away a winner.

Chances of grabbing the top spot in UAE prize draws and raffles

Mahzooz (up to Dh20 million)

The company used to host a raffle every Saturday. To participate, people needed to purchase at least one bottle of water priced at Dh35. The buyers were also allowed to pick five numbers out of 49 for a chance to grab cash prizes.

If you matched all five numbers, you could take home the grand prize of Dh20 million. On the other hand, matching four, three and two numbers rewarded players with shared cash prizes of Dh150,000 or individual wins of Dh35.

“The odds vary from an approximately 1 in 1.9 million chance to win the grand prize,” said Khaled Nader, a UAE-based high school maths teacher. He said the probability of grabbing the top spot comes down to several factors, including how many participants take part.

Big Ticket (up to Dh20 million)

It’s a popular raffle game – taking place once a month. Since tickets that do not win can be returned for the chance to win additional prizes, chances of winning are higher than raffles where there is a one-time opportunity to have your ticket number chosen at random.

Emirates Draw (up to Dh200 million)

The company offered three prize categories with entry prices starting from Dh15 for Easy6 draw, Dh25 for the Fast5 draw and Dh50 for the Mega7 draw. Nader told The National, “The odds are approximately one in 10.3 million chance of winning the grand prize.”

Dubai Duty Free (up to Dh1 million)

It offers a raffle and players can purchase multiple tickets across three categories. The chances of winning in the Millennium Millionaire raffle are one in 5,000 per ticket bought, and one in 2,500 and one in 1,200 in case of Finest Surprise Car raffle and Finest Surprise Bike raffle.

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