Big Ticket Abu Dhabi: Dubai expat’s Dh100 share wins him Dh15 million

Dubai - He will share the prize money with eight of his friends.

For the second month in a row, a Sri Lankan expat won the jackpot in the Abu Dhabi Big Ticket raffle draw on Thursday.

Rasika JDS was out with his colleagues when his life took a 180-degree turn. The Dh100 he pitched in for a Big Ticket entry suddenly became Dh15 million, a prize he would share with eight of his friends.

“When I got the call, I couldn’t believe Richard (Big Ticket host) was on the other end of the line. I thought somebody was playing a prank on me,” Rasika told Khaleej Times.

The expat, who came to the UAE in 2005, is an engineer who works on some of the projects of Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority. He stays in Ras Al Khaimah and travels every day to Dubai. “My family is in Sri Lanka and, with this money, I am planning to bring them to Dubai and give them a good standard of living. I am also hoping to start a business with the amount I have won,” he said, adding that he is also eyeing to build a home for his sister and parents back home.