In an extraordinary twist of fate, Indian expatriate Shantanu Shettigar has claimed the Dh20 million Big Ticket jackpot just weeks after welcoming his first child into the world. The 34-year-old shop supervisor based in Muscat received the life-altering news during an ordinary workday, marking what he describes as a ‘double blessing’ following the birth of his daughter on December 27th.
The emotional significance of the win is magnified by the fact that Shettigar has yet to physically meet his newborn child. ‘I think my daughter came into this world with luck,’ the overwhelmed father told Khaleej Times, expressing his belief that her arrival precipitated his unprecedented fortune. The new father missed the initial notification calls during the live draw due to work commitments, only discovering his windfall upon answering the third attempt by show organizers.
Having participated in the Big Ticket lottery for approximately five years with consistent regularity over the past three, Shettigar typically shared ticket purchases with a compatriot from his hometown of Udupi in Karnataka. Despite knowing numerous long-term participants who have pursued the jackpot for over a decade without success, Shettigar maintained his participation without expectations of winning.
The winner remains remarkably grounded despite his sudden multimillionaire status, confirming he will continue his current employment while carefully considering how to manage his newfound wealth. His immediate priorities focus on family reunification—he plans to travel to Abu Dhabi next month to complete prize formalities before bringing his wife and daughter to join him in Oman. ‘Family is the most important thing for me now,’ Shettigar emphasized, highlighting his intention to use the winnings to secure his family’s future.
This remarkable sequence of events—becoming a father and winning one of the region’s most substantial lottery prizes within weeks—has left Shettigar processing what he characterizes as overwhelmingly positive life transformations. His story joins numerous other expatriate success narratives within the UAE’s popular Big Ticket lottery system, though few have experienced such perfectly timed fortune alongside personal milestones.