The UAE Lottery is currently offering AED50 (£10.80/€12.9/$13.6) tickets for a Lucky Day draw with a grand prize of AED100 million on 14 December. Additionally, a variety of scratchcards are available, priced between AED5 and AED50, with potential winnings ranging from AED50,000 to AED1 million.
Participation is restricted to individuals aged 18 and over, and tickets must be purchased by customers physically present in the UAE. At present, tickets are solely available online.
Abu Dhabi-based The Game, a subsidiary of Momentum, a gaming and entertainment company, secured the UAE Lottery licence from the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) in July of this year. It outperformed established local competitors such as Emirates Draw and Mahzooz, which are now strategizing to shift into other market sectors.
Smartplay International, a leading specialist in lottery draws that supports many of the largest lotteries worldwide, acquired a UAE vendor licence in October, indicating its involvement in the lottery’s operations.
Former Arkansas Lottery Chief Heads UAE Lottery
Leading the lottery operations for Momentum is Bishop Woosley, previously the director of the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery.
Woosley spent two years serving as the legal counsel for the lottery before taking on the role of director for eight years. During his tenure, he also acted as the president of the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries. After four years as a consultant, he joined Momentum in August of this year, as stated on his LinkedIn profile.
“Our mission at The UAE Lottery is to inspire people to dream big, aligning with our slogan, ‘Dare to Imagine’,” Woosley remarked in an announcement reported by multiple local media outlets.
“We aim to create exciting experiences while promoting responsible play. Following a thorough evaluation by GCGRA, our team is committed to ensuring that all operations adhere to global standards, guaranteeing fairness and transparency in everything from the draw process to the selection of winners.”
What’s Next for the UAE Lottery and Casino Developments?
The UAE Lottery is a trailblazer in the Emirates’ evolving gambling market, alongside Wynn Resorts. Wynn is constructing the Wynn Al-Marjan Island resort in Ras Al-Khaimah and acquired the UAE’s first commercial gaming licence in October.
Rivals are eager to enter the market. MGM Resorts CEO Bill Hornbuckle disclosed the company’s intentions for a resort in Abu Dhabi in September of this year.
Nonetheless, GCGRA chair Jim Murren, Hornbuckle’s former superior, indicated there would not be a surge of new projects in 2025. “We are focused on the operators we have already licensed,” Murren mentioned at the Skift Global Forum East earlier in November.
He added that additional licences might be issued over the “next five to ten years.”
The consideration of online gaming also remains. The GCGRA’s gaming operator licence encompasses internet gaming, sports betting, lottery retailers, the national lottery, and physical gaming venues. However, the regulator has not elaborated much on its plans for online gaming to date.