29-year-old Indian expat wins ₹240-crore jackpot in record-breaking UAE Lottery: Check how he plans to spend the money

The mystery winner of the UAE Lottery’s record-breaking Dh100 million (over ₹240 crore) jackpot has finally been revealed. Anilkumar Bolla, a 29-year-old Indian expat and long-time Abu Dhabi resident, is now the country’s newest multimillionaire. He won the grand prize in the 23rd Lucky Day Draw #251018 held on October 18, the Khaleej Times reported.

The jackpot was not shared, which means Anilkumar will take home the entire Dh100 million. He matched all seven winning numbers, beating odds of 1 in 8.8 million.

Anilkumar said he was “at home, relaxing” when he received the call from the UAE Lottery team. A regular participant since the lottery’s launch, he was “completely shocked and overjoyed” by the win.

“This win is beyond my wildest dreams. When I received the call, I thought it was surreal. I kept asking them to repeat the message. It took time to sink in, and even today, I still can’t believe my new reality,” the Khaleej Times quoted Anilkumar as saying.

When asked how he would spend the money, Bolla said, “I was just thinking how I need to invest this amount, spend it in the right way. After winning this amount, I felt like ‘I have money’. Now, I need to work on my thoughts in the right way. And, I want to do something big.”

“I have a dream to buy a supercar. I want to celebrate this moment in a great resort or a 7-star hotel. I just want to take my family to the UAE, and I want to enjoy my whole life staying with them,” he said.

“My mom and dad had very small dreams. I want to fulfil whatever dreams they have,” he added.

While Anilkumar Bolla made headlines by winning the Dh100 million jackpot, he wasn’t the only lucky one that night. The same draw also saw 10 participants win Dh100,000 ( ₹24 lakh) each. The organisers have called it a “milestone moment” for the UAE Lottery.

Since its launch, the UAE Lottery has created over 200 winners of Dh100,000 and distributed Dh147 million (more than ₹343 crore) in total prizes to more than 1 lakh players.

Scott Burton, Commercial Gaming Director of the UAE Lottery, congratulated Anilkumar. According to Burton, the massive prize not only transforms his life but also represents a major achievement for the lottery.

“First, congratulations to Anilkumar on this phenomenal win. The Dh100,000,000 prize will not only change his life but also signify a remarkable milestone for The UAE Lottery, reinforcing our mission to uplift people’s lives while delivering regulated, exciting, and fun lottery experiences,” he said.

“Our growing participant base reflects the genuine interest and trust that players place in The UAE Lottery,” he added.

How much tax will he pay?

In the UAE, there is no income tax on lottery winnings, so the winner receives the full Dh100 million tax-free.

In India, however, lottery prizes are taxed at a flat 30%, followed by a 15% surcharge on the tax amount (for winnings above ₹1 crore) and a 4% Health and Education Cess on the total.

This means if someone wins ₹240 crore in India, they would pay more than ₹86 crore in total taxes and take home about ₹154 crore after deductions.