Hosts Richard and Bouchra during the Big Ticket Abu Dhabi draw. EXPAT MEDIA
A 42-year-old Filipina has won Big Ticket Abu Dhabi’s Dh20 million grand prize, with her share of the jackpot set to help her family pay off their home mortgage.
Bernadette Azucena missed the call announcing her win because she was asleep in the Philippines when Big Ticket hosts tried to reach her at around 1.30am local time.
Azucena previously worked in the UAE as a secretary and returned to the Philippines last year. Her husband, who continues to work in the UAE, eventually broke the news to her over a video call.
“He told me to sit down and take a deep breath, and then he told me that we had won. I honestly thought I was still dreaming. I just couldn’t believe it,” Azucena recalled.
Azucena returned to the Philippines last year to undergo hand surgery and has remained there since. Despite being away from the UAE, she continued participating in Big Ticket with a group of 22 people, a tradition they started in 2017.
The group typically buys tickets during promotional periods, with each member taking a turn choosing an entry under their own name. This time, the winning ticket was registered under Azucena’s name.
“We usually purchase during the promotions, and everyone in the group chooses a ticket under their name. This time, I got lucky and the winning ticket was the one selected under mine,” she said.
The Dh20 million jackpot will be divided among all 22 members of the group, making the win a shared milestone for the participants.
For Azucena, the money will help ease a major financial responsibility for her family. “With my share, I want to pay off the mortgage on our house here in the Philippines,” she said.
Despite securing the grand prize, Azucena is not planning to stop buying Big Ticket entries. She confirmed that she and the rest of the group intend to continue participating.
Her win came during Big Ticket Abu Dhabi’s October 3 live draw, when ticket number 013075 was selected for the Dh20 million jackpot.
The draw also awarded five consolation prizes totalling Dh1.95 million to other participants. Indian expat Sunil Kumar, a resident of Abu Dhabi, won Dh1 million, while Kulwant Singh from Ajman received Dh500,000 and Ajith Kumar from Muscat won Dh250,000.
Two other winners, Muhammad Ijas from Ajman and Dubai resident Setvan Kumar Chauhan, each received Dh100,000. Indian expat Waseem Khan, who lives in Dubai, won the Dream Car prize, a Nissan Patrol.
Big Ticket’s October promotions also include weekly electronic draws, with four winners receiving a 200-gram, 24-karat gold bar in each draw. Customers who buy at least one ticket during October will also have a chance to be selected for The Big Spin, scheduled for December 3, where each of three participants could win up to Dh1 million. A Range Rover Velar is also scheduled to be awarded in the November 3 Dream Car draw.
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