The Emirates Draw is a popular lottery game in the United Arab Emirates. It offers players a chance to win cash prizes every week by matching numbers. Here is a comprehensive guide on how to play and win the Emirates Draw lottery.
What is the Emirates Draw?
The Emirates Draw is the first officially approved national draw game of its kind in the UAE. It was launched in September 2021 by the Emirates Lottery Company, a subsidiary of the Emirates Group. The draw takes place every Sunday in the UAE.
The Emirates Draw allows UAE citizens, residents and tourists to participate by purchasing a Dh50 pencil that contains seven unique numbers from 1 to 49. During the weekly draws, seven winning numbers are selected. The more numbers that match the seven winning numbers, the bigger the prize.
What are the Emirates Draw prizes?
There are five prize categories in the Emirates Draw:
- Match all 7 numbers to win the grand prize (minimum AED 77,777,777)
- Match 5 numbers plus the bonus number to win AED 777,777
- Match 5 numbers to win AED 77,777
- Match 4 numbers to win AED 7,777
- Match 3 numbers to win AED 777
The grand prize starts at AED 77,777,777 and rolls over by AED 1 million each week if there is no top prize winner. There is no cap on the maximum grand prize amount.
When do the Emirates Draws take place?
The Emirates Draw takes place every Sunday evening in the UAE. Here is the schedule:
- Sales period: Saturday to Sunday 1PM UAE time
- Submission of entries deadline: Sunday 1:30PM UAE time
- Results announcement: Sunday 9PM UAE time
During the holy month of Ramadan, the results are announced after 10PM.
Who can enter the Emirates Draw?
The eligibility criteria to enter the Emirates Draw lottery are:
- UAE citizens and residents aged 18 or above
- Tourists aged 18 or above who are in the UAE during the draw period
- Participants must have a valid UAE ID card or passport
Each eligible person can purchase up to 7 pencils per draw. The pencils contain unique numbers so there are no duplicate entries.
Where can you purchase Emirates Draw pencils?
There are several options to purchase Emirates Draw pencils:
- Authorized retail outlets – There are over 1,000 locations across the UAE such as convenience stores, exchange houses, etc.
- Online – Pencils can be purchased on the Emirates Draw website and app using credit/debit cards or Apple Pay.
- Social media – Purchase via the official Emirates Draw accounts on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
- Call center – Pencils can be bought via the multilingual call center at 600 570003.
After purchasing a pencil, you will receive an SMS confirming your entry. The code on the SMS can be used to check the selected numbers.
How are the winning Emirates Draw numbers selected?
The Emirates Draw has a very transparent process for selecting the 7 winning numbers each week:
- A live draw takes place every Sunday at 9PM UAE time at the Emirates Draw studios in Dubai.
- The draw is conducted and supervised by officials from a third-party auditing firm.
- Seven numbered balls are randomly picked one-by-one from the draw machine to form the winning combination.
- The entire draw process is streamed live on the Emirates Draw website, YouTube channel and social media pages.
This ensures full transparency and fair selection of the winning numbers each week.
How do you know if you have won an Emirates Draw prize?
There are a few ways you can check if your Emirates Draw pencil has won a prize:
- Watch the draw results – The 7 winning numbers are announced live during the weekly draw show every Sunday at 9PM UAE time.
- Check online – You can check the latest Emirates Draw results online at the official website. The results are published right after the live draw ends.
- Notification – If you have entered the draw online or registered your details, you will get an SMS notification if you have won a prize.
- Contact customer service – You can call the Emirates Draw call center at 600 570003 to verify if your pencil has won.
If you have won, keep your pencil and SMS code safe as you will need to provide them to claim the prize money.
How do Emirates Draw winners get paid?
Claiming an Emirates Draw prize is a simple process:
- Winners must contact the Emirates Draw call center within 30 days of the draw result.
- Provide your pencil code, UAE ID and contact information for verification.
- After verification, winners need to complete a Prize Claim Form and submit proof of identity and purchase documents.
- The prize money will be transferred to the winner’s bank account within 15 business days after completing the claim process.
Winners can also opt to claim the prize in-person at the Emirates Draw offices in Dubai. All prizes are paid out in UAE Dirhams (AED) only. There is no cap or taxes applicable on Emirates Draw prize money.
Are Emirates Draw winnings taxable?
All prizes won in the Emirates Draw are completely tax-free for both citizens and expats. Winners receive 100% of the prize amount as per the published prize brackets.
What are the chances of winning an Emirates Draw prize?
The probability of winning a prize in the Emirates Draw depends on the number of matching digits. Here are the statistical odds of winning:
| Prize Tier | Match | Odds (1 in X) |
|---|---|---|
| Grand prize | 7 numbers | 20,358,520 |
| 2nd prize | 5 numbers + bonus | 701,128 |
| 3rd prize | 5 numbers | 41,979 |
| 4th prize | 4 numbers | 3,737 |
| 5th prize | 3 numbers | 240 |
As you can see, the odds of matching all 7 numbers to win the jackpot grand prize are 20.3 million to 1. But the chances of winning smaller prizes by matching some numbers are much better.
Factors that affect your odds of winning
There are a few key factors that impact your overall odds of winning any prize in the Emirates Draw:
- Number of entries – Buying multiple pencils improves your chances versus buying just one
- Avoid duplicate numbers on pencils – Unique numbers increase your odds
- Don’t choose consecutive numbers – Spread out number selection
- Analyze number frequency – Some numbers get drawn more often
- Use Quick Pick – Let the system randomly pick your numbers
Can someone under 18 play the Emirates Draw?
No, only adults aged 18 years and above can purchase Emirates Draw pencils and claim prizes. The minimum age was set by the Department of Economic Development during the lottery approval process.
The Emirates Draw has responsible play policies in place. Underage participants are disqualified and any prizes they may win are voided.
Is the Emirates Draw only open to UAE residents?
Expat residents as well as tourists in the UAE on a visit visa can participate in the Emirates Draw. You must be physically present in UAE during the draw period to qualify. Online and phone purchase options make it easy for tourists to enter.
The Emirates Draw is currently open only to those located in the UAE at the time of entry. It is not open for participation from other countries.
Can you improve your chances of winning the Emirates Draw?
While the Emirates Draw results are based entirely on seven random number selections, there are few tips that may slightly improve your odds:
- Buy multiple pencils to gain more number combinations
- Avoid consecutive or repetitive numbers on a pencil
- Analyze previous draw results for frequency of certain numbers
- Use both popular and unpopular numbers to diversify
- Don’t choose sentimental numbers like birthdays
In the end, the seven numbers are picked randomly so there is no definite strategy to always win. But little optimizations can help increase your chances.
What happens if the Emirates Draw is cancelled?
The Emirates Draw takes place every Sunday evening without fail. However, in rare cases of unavoidable circumstances, a draw may have to be postponed or cancelled.
If a draw is cancelled, any pencil purchases for that draw will be refunded in full. The numbers on those pencils will then be automatically entered into the next scheduled draw free of charge.
Emirates Draw results will be announced after the postponement stating the new draw date and time. Customers will be notified via SMS, email, website and social media channels.
Can you return or get a refund on Emirates Draw pencils?
Emirates Draw pencils cannot be returned or exchanged once purchased. However, a refund can be processed in certain situations:
- If the customer has purchased more than the maximum allowed 7 pencils, the extra will be refunded.
- In case of a cancelled or postponed draw, a full refund will be issued.
- If there is a technical error in pencil numbers, processing or payment.
Refunds due to technical errors will be automatically processed. For other cases, customers have to contact Emirates Draw customer service within 7 days of purchase to request a refund.
Can you transfer an Emirates Draw pencil to another person?
No, Emirates Draw pencils are non-transferable once purchased. The person who bought the pencil must be the one to claim any prize won on that pencil.
If you wish to gift a pencil to someone, you must select the ‘Gift Pencil’ option during online purchase and provide the recipient’s details. The pencil will be registered in their name.
Is there any limit on the number of Emirates Draw prizes you can win?
No, there is no restriction on the maximum number or value of prizes a single person can win in the Emirates Draw. You can win across multiple prize tiers and multiple times.
The only limit is that each person can purchase a maximum of 7 pencils per draw. Matching more pencils gives you more chances to win different prizes.
Where does the Emirates Draw lottery money go?
The Emirates Draw is operated by Emirates Lottery Company LLC, a subsidiary of Emirates Group. After prize payouts and operating costs, the surplus revenue is transferred to its parent company.
Emirates Group directs this revenue to support aviation infrastructure and charitable causes in the UAE. Beneficiaries include:
- Emirates Airline Foundation focused on humanitarian projects in UAE.
- Construction of the new Emirates Flight Training Academy.
- Wildlife protection, conservation and breeding programs.
- Promoting aviation education and training.
So in addition to cash prizes for players, the Emirates Draw also contributes to social causes in the country.
Conclusion
The Emirates Draw offers an exciting opportunity for UAE citizens, residents and tourists to win life-changing cash prizes every week. The lottery draw process is highly transparent and regulated for fairness. Participating is easy through online, retail and phone channels.
While luck plays a big role, small optimizations in number selection and quantity of entries can slightly improve your odds. With prizes starting from AED 777, the Emirates Draw offers a thrilling chance for players to win big each week.
