Mom's birth date helps Kerala man win Rs 240-crore jackpot in UAE

A 29-year-old Indian expatriate from Kerala has become a multimillionaire after winning the UAE's largest-ever lottery prize of 100 million Dhiram (approximately Rs 240 crore). Anilkumar Bolla, a long-time resident of Abu Dhabi, matched all seven numbers in the 23rd Lucky Day Draw held last week, defying odds of 1 in 8,835,372, according to Dubai-based newspaper, Khaleej Times.

Bolla revealed that he selected his winning ticket using an Easy Pick option, which automatically generated a combination of numbers. However, he deliberately chose the number 11 from the "Months set" to honour his mother's birthday.

Following his win, Bolla said he plans to fulfil his parents' dreams, bring them to the UAE, and donate a portion of his winnings to charity.

He had bought 12 tickets in one go. Players pay Dh50 (approximately Rs 1,285) for every Lucky Day ticket.

This tribute sealed his fate as the first-ever Dh100 million winner in the country's lottery history, according to a report in another Dubai-based news outlet, Gulf News.

At the time of the draw, Bolla was at home, relaxing, when he received the life-changing call from the UAE Lottery team. A "loyal" participant since the lottery's launch, he said he was "completely shocked and overjoyed" by the news.

"I was in shock. I was sitting on the sofa, and I'm just feeling that, yes, I won it," he was heard saying in a video shared by the UAE Lottery on Monday.

After the massive windfall, Bolla started working on his "thoughts the right way".

"After winning this amount, I felt like I had money. Now, I need to work on my thoughts in the right way, and I want to do something big," he said.

ANILKUMAR BOLLA PLANS TO FULFIL PARENTS' DREAM

Bolla has expressed his intention to use the prize money to fulfil his parents' dreams, bring them to the UAE.

He also plans to purchase a supercar and celebrate the win at a luxurious resort.

"I just want to take my family to the UAE, and I want to enjoy my whole life staying with them," he said.

"My dad and parents have very small dreams and I want to fulfil all their dreams. I want to take care of them," he added.

In addition to realising personal and family dreams, Bolla also plans to contribute a portion of his winnings to charity.

KERALA MAN COMMITS TO CHARITY

"I do have a plan to donate some of the money to charity. Because I believe that donations will reach out to the people who will really require the money. So that gives me core happiness," he expressed his desire.

He also shared a message with other lottery players.

"I believe that everything happens for a reason. I suggest to each and every player to keep playing, and for sure, one day luck will come to you," he said.

Since its launch, the UAE Lottery has produced over 200 winners of 100,000 Dhiram and more than 100,000 players have collectively claimed over Dh147 million in prizes, Khaleej Times reported.

- Ends