6 days ago
Dubai lottery: Kerala man claims $1 million prize again, Pakistani winner unreachable
An Indian expat living in Dubai has won the $1 million jackpot lottery for a second time in less than ten years. Paul Jose Mavely, a 60-year-old from Kerala, has once again struck gold in the Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire draw, while a Pakistani winner remains unaware of his fortune as organisers have been unable to reach him.
Mavely, won the Millennium Millionaire Series 503 with ticket number 3532, purchased online on 19 May, Dubai Duty Free (DDF) announced on Wednesday.
Mavely, who has lived in Dubai for 38 years, previously won the same prize in November 2016, making him only the 11th person to win twice in the history of the promotion.
Read | Kerala man, raised by single mother, wins ₹ 71 crore in lottery after years of financial struggle
In 2016, he shared the ticket cost and prize money with nine friends. This time, he shared the ticket cost with 17 friends who have been taking part in the Dubai Duty Free draws since 1999, rotating names on the ticket among the group.
Mavely is a father of two and works as a site supervisor for a small contracting company. Overwhelmed with happiness, he told Gulf News: 'I'm very thankful to Dubai Duty Free for this second win in your amazing promotion.'
Read | Woman wins ₹ 40 lakh lottery in US – all thanks to numbers she saw in a dream
Meanwhile, Kiran Batool, a Pakistani national living in Saudi Arabia, won $1 million in Series 502 with ticket number 2252, bought online on 5 May. However, organisers have not been able to contact him and he remains unaware of his win. Mr Batool is the 27th Pakistani national to win the draw since it began in 1999, DDF said.
The Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire is a lottery scheme launched in 1999, offering participants the chance to win US\$1 million. Each draw is capped at 5,000 tickets, improving the odds for entrants.
Read | 'Someone gave me $10 for pumpkin...,' North Carolina man wins ₹ 1 crore lottery prize, credits luck to pumpkin sales
Tickets are priced at AED 1,000 (approximately ₹ 22,700), excluding 5% VAT, and can be purchased either at duty-free shops in Dubai International Airport or online via the Dubai Duty Free website.
The draw takes place twice a month and is open to all nationalities, with no requirement to be present in Dubai at the time of the draw.
Since its launch, 251 Indians have won this lottery.
