How to Claim a UAE Lottery Prize: Thresholds, Deadlines and Documents

Last updated: 19 October 2026

How you claim a UAE Lottery prize depends on two things: where you bought the ticket and how much it won. Online wins under Dh100,000 land in your account wallet automatically. Retail wins up to Dh2,500 are paid in cash in store. Anything above those limits means contacting the lottery on 800 2365 or support@theuaelottery.ae, passing identity checks, and possibly claiming in person. Every prize must be claimed within 180 calendar days of the draw.

Key takeaways

• Online: prizes under Dh100,000 are paid straight into your online wallet; prizes of Dh100,000 or more must be claimed through support, and the lottery may require an in-person claim.
• Retail: prizes up to and including Dh2,500 are paid in cash at a retail outlet; larger ones are claimed by arrangement through the lottery's Award Centre.
• The deadline is 180 calendar days from the draw date. Unclaimed prizes are forfeited and are not added to future draws.
• Once a claim is validated, the lottery's terms commit it to paying within 30 days.
• Prizes are not transferable. A paper ticket is a bearer instrument until you sign it, so sign it when you buy it.
• Never share a bank OTP with someone who calls about a prize. The lottery's FAQ says to verify any suspicious contact through live chat, support@theuaelottery.ae or 800 2365.

How do I claim a UAE Lottery prize?

The official FAQ splits claims by channel, and the operator's terms (version 20260225, clauses 10.4 and 10.5) set out the detail:

Bought — Prize — How you get paid

• Online — Under Dh100,000 — Credited to your online account after the draw, subject to validation checks
• Online — Dh100,000 or more — Contact 800 2365 or support@theuaelottery.ae; paid by cheque, bank transfer or account credit; in-person claim may be required
• Retail — Up to Dh2,500 — Cash at any UAE Lottery retail outlet
• Retail — Over Dh2,500 — Contact 800 2365 or support@theuaelottery.ae to arrange a claim at the Award Centre; paid by cheque or bank transfer

Two rules catch people out. First, the channels do not mix: the FAQ says prizes won through an online account "cannot be claimed at a retail store", and retail wins cannot be claimed through an online account. Second, you must be physically present in the UAE to claim a prize at all (clause 2.5 of the terms).

The Dh100,000 line matters because of what sits on either side of it. Lucky Day's Dh1,000 fourth prize and the top prizes of the daily draws, Dh2,500 for Pick 3 and Dh25,000 for Pick 4, all sit below it and are credited online without a phone call. The Dh100,000 third prize and everything above it need a claim.

How do I know if I've won?

Online players receive a notification in their account after each draw, win or lose, and need to log in to see it. Retail players check results on the official website or in store, and can have a ticket validated at a retail outlet.

Only official results count. The terms (clause 9.2) say the lottery will not pay a prize based on results recorded anywhere else, naming newspapers, telephone lines and third-party websites. Use theuaelottery.ae, not a results aggregator.

What happens when you win Dh100,000 or more?

The FAQ's answer is short: "Large prizes will be paid within 30 days of successful validation provided you meet all of our eligibility criteria."

What validation involves was described in more detail by Scott Burton, the lottery's commercial gaming director, after the Dh100 million prize was won in October 2025. He told Khaleej Times that winners are invited to the lottery's headquarters, where staff verify their identity and complete the paperwork. The file then goes to regulators and banks for review, and once it is cleared the money is transferred to the winner's bank account. Khaleej Times put the whole process at "several weeks from the time of the draw". The lottery said that prize would be paid in a single transaction with no deductions.

The terms add three more points:

• Payment form. Large prizes are paid at the lottery's option by cheque, bank transfer or a credit to your account (clauses 10.4 and 10.5). If you take a cheque, the lottery's obligation ends when you sign its cheque collection form (clause 10.8).
• No interest. No interest is paid on a prize, including while checks or disputes are running (clause 10.12).
• Publicity. By winning Dh100,000 or more you consent to the lottery publishing your identity and image to promote its games (clause 2.13). That is why big winners appear in the press, first by first name and later in full. One recent Dh100,000 winner nonetheless appears on the official results feed as "Anonymous".

Our Dh5 million winners list shows how this has played out for the four second-prize winners so far.

What documents do I need to claim a prize?

The FAQ says you must provide "any information we reasonably request" to show your claim is genuine and that you comply with the terms. It lists examples:

• full name, address, date of birth, gender, email address and phone number
• a current photo, and a facial scan "or equivalent visual identification of the player for facial recognition purposes"
• payment details
• proof of entitlement to the prize

The terms (clause 9.6) add that proof of identity "could include" a passport or national identification document, used to verify age, identity and eligibility. The lottery may also ask you to complete forms or supply other information, including at the regulator's request (clause 10.6), and it can hold back payment until it has what it needs (clause 10.9).

For retail tickets, bring the original. Clause 9.3 says a retail ticket must be presented "in its original, intact, undamaged physical form", and the FAQ warns that damage or tampering may make it invalid.

How long do I have to claim?

180 calendar days from the draw date. The FAQ says that after that "you will no longer be entitled to it", and the terms (clause 9.5) add that unclaimed prizes "will not be added to future draws". The money does not roll into a jackpot.

Online prizes under Dh100,000 are credited automatically, so the deadline mainly affects retail tickets and large online wins. If you have a paper ticket in a drawer, check its draw date.

Can someone else claim my prize?

Generally, no. The FAQ is direct: "The right to a prize is not transferable." Only the original ticket holder whose name and signature appear on the ticket can claim it.

That makes signing the ticket the single most useful thing a retail player can do. The FAQ says you must sign the back at purchase, using the exact name on your government-issued ID. An unsigned ticket is a bearer instrument: if you lose it, whoever finds it can claim.

There are two narrow exceptions in the terms (clause 9.9). The lottery may, at its discretion, pay an authorised representative if a winner cannot claim because of legal, physical or other disability. If a winner dies, the estate can claim with reasonable evidence of its legal right and, where required, approval from the competent authorities.

Groups are the winner's own business. The terms (clause 2.6) say the lottery has no responsibility for how a syndicate shares a prize or for disputes between members. If several people sign one ticket and disagree, the lottery can pick one signatory to receive the prize or void the ticket (clause 9.4). Agree the split in writing before the draw.

How do I withdraw winnings from my online account?

The FAQ says winnings can be withdrawn to "a local UAE bank account or a Botim Pay wallet account used for deposit", subject to verification. There is a bank charge of Dh5 per withdrawal, and your own bank may charge more. All prizes are paid in dirhams, and the FAQ says prizes are kept in a segregated bank account, held in trust for you until you claim them or your account becomes dormant.

No UAE tax is deducted from prizes. Home-country tax can still apply, as our UAE Lottery tax guide explains.

How to avoid fake prize-claim scams

The claim process has an obvious weak point: people who have been told they have won will share personal details. Scammers know this. In September 2026, Khaleej Times reported that the Sharjah Misdemeanours Court sentenced two people in absentia to six months in jail and deportation. They had phoned a man claiming he had won Dh200,000, posed as a government entity, collected his ID and banking details and an OTP, and took Dh84,000 from his account. The UAE Lottery was not named in the case, but it is the approach lottery players should watch for.

The safeguards are simple. The lottery's FAQ tells anyone who doubts a contact to verify it through live chat, support@theuaelottery.ae or 800 2365. Real wins show up in your account or on the official results page. Our guide to fake UAE lottery and casino apps covers the wider pattern.

FAQ

How long does it take to receive a UAE Lottery prize? Online prizes under Dh100,000 are credited after the draw, subject to checks. Larger prizes are paid within 30 days of the claim being validated.

Where is the UAE Lottery Award Centre? We could not find a published address. The FAQ says Award Centre claims are arranged through 800 2365 or support@theuaelottery.ae, and the terms say any in-person claim will be at an address the lottery gives you at the time.

Can I claim a retail ticket prize online? No. Retail and online prizes each have their own claim process and cannot be swapped.

What happens if I lose my winning ticket? If it is unsigned, anyone holding it can claim it. Sign every paper ticket when you buy it.

Do I need to be in the UAE to claim? Yes. The terms say you can only claim a prize if you are physically present in the UAE.

What if I miss the 180-day deadline? The prize is forfeited, and it is not added to future draws.

Further reading

• Every UAE Lottery Dh5 million winner so far
• Do you pay tax on UAE Lottery winnings?
• UAE Lottery rules explained
• Where to buy UAE Lottery tickets in person
• Fake UAE lottery and casino apps

Sources

• The UAE Lottery, "FAQs" (accessed 17 October 2026): https://www.theuaelottery.ae/faq
• The UAE Lottery, "Terms and Conditions", version 20260225 (accessed 17 October 2026): https://www.theuaelottery.ae/Terms-and-Conditions
• The UAE Lottery, Lucky Day page and results (accessed 17 October 2026): https://www.theuaelottery.ae/lottery/luckyday
• The UAE Lottery, "Pick 3" and "Pick 4" game rules (accessed 17 October 2026): https://www.theuaelottery.ae/lottery/pick3 and https://www.theuaelottery.ae/lottery/pick4
• Khaleej Times, "UAE Lottery's Dh100-million win to be paid in a single transaction" (14 November 2025): https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/lotterys-dh100-million-win-paid-single-transaction
• Khaleej Times, "Man loses Dh84,000 in fake lottery scam; UAE court sentences 2 to jail" (26 September 2026): https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/crime/uae-fake-lottery-scam-six-months-in-jail-for-two-accused