UAE Lottery to sell tickets in stores, supermarkets and fuel stations soon

February 6, 2025

UAE Lottery to sell tickets in stores, supermarkets and fuel stations soon

Tickets for the UAE Lottery are likely to be available in shops as early as this summer, as per Bishop Woosley, director of Lottery Operations at The Game, which operates the UAE Lottery. The company plans to sell tickets at convenience stores, supermarkets, and fuel stations. While no specific timeline has been set, Woosley told Khaleej Times that they hope to implement the move “soon.”

The UAE Lottery launched late last year with a Dh100 million ($27,230,000) jackpot. Currently, tickets can only be purchased online, but the company is set to introduce an app to make access easier.

Explaining how offline sales will work, Woosley said customers will be able to buy tickets in-store. “We are trying to put in place a normal lottery environment where you walk up to the cash register, and there’s a bin of scratch-off tickets there,” he said.

“There (could be) a terminal where you can buy a Lucky Day ticket. There may also be other selling methods, like a ticket vending machine.”

Stores selling the tickets will display marketing materials to inform shoppers about their availability.

The UAE’s first regulated lottery was launched after years of multiple privately run draws. It offers various prizes, with participants selecting their own numbers or using a random generator. Ticket holders have the chance to win between Dh100 ($27.23) and Dh100 million ($27,230,000), while scratch cards offer a top prize of Dh1 million ($272,294). Draws take place every fortnight on Saturdays.

More games are expected to be introduced soon. “People are going to see more draw games,” Woosley said.

“I don’t want to reveal too much, but there will be more games available in both the app as well as through the website and in retail when we launch it. We will also continuously update our online scratcher games and have fresh content for the players.”

He emphasised that the lottery would continue evolving based on player preferences. “Nothing is final in the lottery industry,” he said. “You have to evolve with your players. So, nothing is off the table. We’ll continue to launch games that are exciting and that our players will enjoy. The most important thing is that when players win, they continue to play.”

On the regulatory front, Woosley stated that all UAE Lottery games comply with the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA). “We’ve gone through rigorous testing,” he said.

“Our platform, procedures, processes, and our games are tested by international laboratories to ensure that the price structure is what we say it is and that our platform is secure.”

Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, the GCGRA oversees licensing, regulation, and supervision of all commercial gaming activities in the UAE.

Woosley also highlighted the strict compliance measures that were followed. “Our ball machine is tested, and the balls in the machine are weighed. So, there is a very rigorous process that ensures safety. We will remain compliant with whatever it is that we’re required to do under those regulatory structures,” added Woosley.

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