United Arab Emirates lottery tickets are expected to be sold in stores this summer, said Bishop Woosley, the lottery operations director for The Game, the company responsible for UAE lottery operations. The company plans to sell lottery tickets in convenience stores, supermarkets, and gas stations. Although a specific timetable has not been set, Woosley said in an interview with the Gulf Times that they hope to implement the plan "as soon as possible."
The UAE lottery was launched at the end of last year, with a jackpot of 100 million dirhams (approximately $27,230,000). Currently, the lottery can only be purchased online, but the company plans to launch an app to make it more accessible.
Regarding the operation of offline sales, Woosley said that customers can purchase lottery tickets inside the store. "We are working to establish a normal lottery sales environment where customers can walk up to the cashier, where there will be scratch cards," he said.
"There (might be) a terminal where customers can buy 'Lucky Day' lottery tickets. There might also be other sales methods, such as lottery vending machines."
The stores selling lottery tickets will display marketing materials to promote the availability of the lottery to shoppers.
The UAE's first official lottery was launched after many years of private lottery draws, offering various prizes, with participants able to choose their own numbers or use a random generator. Lottery holders have the chance to win prizes ranging from 100 dirhams ($27.23) to 100 million dirhams ($27,230,000), with the highest scratch card prize being 1 million dirhams ($272,294). The draw takes place every two weeks on Saturday.
More games are expected to be launched soon. "People will see more lottery games," Woosley said.
"I don't want to reveal too much, but we will offer more games at launch through the app, website, and retail stores. We will also continuously update our online scratch card games and provide fresh content for players," he added.
He emphasized that the lottery will continue to evolve according to player preferences. "There is nothing final in the lottery industry," he said. "You have to follow the development of the players. So, nothing is ruled out. We will continue to introduce exciting games that players will love. Most importantly, after players win, they will continue to participate."
In terms of regulation, Woosley stated that all UAE lottery games comply with the regulations of the UAE General Commercial Gambling Regulatory Authority (GCGRA). "We have passed rigorous testing," he said.
"Our platforms, procedures, processes, and games have been tested by international laboratories to ensure that the prize structure complies with our statements and to ensure that our platform is secure."
The GCGRA, headquartered in Abu Dhabi, is responsible for licensing, regulating, and supervising all commercial gambling activities in the UAE.
Woosley also emphasized strict compliance measures. "Our lottery machines are tested, and the balls in the machines are weighed. So, it is a very strict process to ensure security. We will continue to comply with any requirements we need to follow under these regulatory structures," Woosley added.
