Payal, a 42-year-old woman from Punjab, India, has won $1 million (approximately Rs 8.3 crore) in the Dubai Duty-Free (DDF) Millennium Millionaire promotion. She is the 229th Indian to win this jackpot.
Payal used cash she received from her husband as a wedding anniversary gift in April to buy an online raffle ticket. Her ticket number 3337 was drawn on May 16, making her an instant millionaire, as reported by the Indian Express.
For the past 12 years, Payal has been purchasing DDF tickets, alternating between her husband’s and children’s names. “I used to buy DDF tickets once or twice a year at the airport, but for the first time, I bought an online ticket. The cash gift from my husband truly became a gift that kept on giving,” she shared.
Upon receiving the news from the DDF team, Payal was in disbelief. She plans to use the money for her children’s future and to support her brother in Australia. She also expressed a desire to contribute to charity work within the Punjabi community. “Thank you, Dubai Duty-Free, for fulfilling my dream. This will make a significant impact on our lives,” she said.
In the same draw series, a 48-year-old English woman also won $1 million with a ticket purchased on her way to Bahrain. Additionally, an Emirati won a Mercedes Benz SL55 car with an online ticket, a Saudi Arabia-based man won a Range Rover Sport Dynamic HSE P400, and an Indian-origin man won an Aprilia Tuono V4 Factory motorbike. Earlier this year, another Indian man reportedly won Rs. 44 crore in a UAE lottery.