A Filipino expat in the UAE is ringing in the New Year with a huge surprise after winning AED 100,000 from Big Ticket.
Nomer Materiano, 48, a salesman in Abu Dhabi, was among the five lucky winners in the final weekly E-Draw of Big Ticket’s December 2025 promotion. Closing out the year’s draws, this last batch gave participants an exciting finale to 2025—and for Materiano, the New Year couldn’t have begun on a better note.
Having lived in the capital city with his family for the past 20 years, Materiano first discovered Big Ticket on social media and has been buying tickets with four friends since then.
On New Year’s Day, when he learned he was one of the winners, he admitted feeling a bit skeptical at first.
“With so many scam calls these days, I honestly thought it wasn’t real,” he said. “I didn’t believe it at first, but once I realised it was true, I was very happy. My family and I are starting the year on a good note.”
With the prize money, Materiano intends to set it aside for his 11-year-old son’s future.
“I feel very lucky. My advice to anyone participating is to keep trying. You never know when luck will come your way,” he added.
The other four winners from the UAE and India also received their prizes, marking a celebratory start to the New Year for Big Ticket participants.
Looking ahead, January 2026’s Big Ticket draws are already generating excitement, with a massive AED 20 million grand prize giving one lucky winner the chance to become an instant multimillionaire.
