A Filipino baker based in Jebel Ali took home the Dh20 million Big Ticket Abu Dhabi grand prize on 3 August, ending 15 years of monthly ticket purchases with a group of 10 friends.
Reynaldo Herboso’s winning ticket, number 267822, was purchased on 13 July and drawn during the Series 289 live event. The final number was selected by the group’s Bangladeshi member.
‘I have been buying for 15 years continuously. Fifteen years, and that is a long time. I am so happy,’ Herboso said when hosts Richard and Bouchra called to share the news.
Herboso said he was overcome with disbelief on the call, asking: ‘Did I seriously win?’ He later described the moment he learned the group had taken the grand prize: ‘I was completely over the moon. I was so excited and could hardly believe that after all these years, our group had finally won the grand prize.’
Dh2 million each for 10 group members
The prize will be divided equally among all 10 members of the syndicate, giving each person Dh2 million, according to Gulf News. The group spans friends from the Philippines, India and Bangladesh.
Herboso said he had not yet decided how to use his share and planned to take his time before making any decisions. He was due to fly home for a vacation the Friday following the draw.
The winning ticket was chosen by last month’s Dh25 million grand prize winner, Kanika Arora, who was invited back for the Series 289 ceremony alongside host Richard.
Big Spin draw and Series 289 prize structure
The Series 289 draw also marked the inaugural Big Spin event, introduced by Big Ticket in July. Three ticket holders were selected for the spin on 3 August, each with the chance to win up to Dh1 million.
Jordanian UAE resident Osama Mahmoud won Dh100,000. Nithin Joy, an Indian resident of Qatar, also won Dh100,000. Dinesh Kumar, an Indian based in Abu Dhabi, took home Dh250,000.
Five consolation prizes of Dh100,000 each were also awarded during the draw, along with four weekly e-draw prizes of Dh25,000 each, according to the Big Ticket prize page. Monthly draw tickets are priced at Dh500 including VAT, with the weekly e-draw entry included in that purchase.
Abu Dhabi-based Nepali expat Ash Bahadur Dura, 47, won a Maserati Grecale at the same draw after buying tickets on his own for 10 to 12 years. ‘After taking part for so many years, receiving the winning call was an incredible moment for me,’ he said.
Big Ticket, which describes itself as having more than 30 years of operation, will hold the next Big Spin draw on 3 September. The three contestants already selected are Jinkie Sandoval, a Filipino resident in Dubai; Vikantish, an Indian resident in Sharjah; and Mohammed Kamal Hossan, a Bangladeshi resident in Oman.
