The General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) announced the appointment of Ciarán Carruthers as Chief Executive Officer.

Ciarán Carruthers brings extensive experience across global luxury resort and gaming sectors and joins from Crown Resorts in Australia, where he served as Chief Executive Officer. He joins GCGRA at a pivotal moment in the development of commercial gaming regulation in the UAE, bringing deep operational expertise and regulatory experience to advance the Authority’s mission to establish a world-class, transparent and responsible regulatory framework. He has led significant regulatory and operational transformations across the global gaming industry, including restoring Crown Resorts to full licensing suitability, overseeing large-scale operations at Wynn Macau and advancing responsible gaming frameworks that have helped shape industry standards.

Jim Murren, Chairman of GCGRA, said: “We are pleased to welcome Ciarán to the GCGRA leadership team. He brings the experience and vision to lead the Authority as we continue to build a world-class regulatory framework for commercial gaming in the UAE.”

Ciarán Carruthers said: “I am honoured to join GCGRA and contribute to the continued development of the UAE’s regulatory framework for commercial gaming. The UAE is establishing itself as a global benchmark for modern and responsible gaming regulation, and I look forward to working closely with the team, licensees, and government partners to deliver on that ambition.”

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The UAE Lottery has named a 26-year-old Nepalese security guard, Tayab Khan, as the first winner of an AED 30 million Grand Prize in its Lucky Day draw. The operator said the win was recorded in Abu Dhabi on June 8, 2026.

According to the company, the winning ticket was purchased through a five-person group that pooled funds and rotated number selection. The AED 30 million prize will be split equally, with each participant receiving AED 6 million.

Khan said he learned about the result via email and initially dismissed it. “I had received similar emails before for small prizes, so I didn’t think much of it,” he recalled. “But when I opened the email and saw AED 30 million, my hands were shaking, my legs were shaking. It felt like a dream. Even now, it’s hard to express that feeling in words.”

Khan said the group had played since discovering The UAE Lottery in early 2024, with no consistent number-picking strategy. “Sometimes I use family-related numbers, and sometimes I choose randomly,” he said. “This time, I just selected random numbers and submitted the ticket.”

The operator said all games are regulated by the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA). Tickets for upcoming Lucky Day draws are available at www.theuaelottery.ae.

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A 39-year-old South African expat, Branden Tekram, has won AED 5 million in The UAE Lottery’s Lucky Day draw, according to the operator. The company said the win marks “the first time the second prize has been won on a Wednesday draw since its recent introduction.”

Tekram said he discovered the result while checking email. “It’s still overwhelming and unbelievable. I don’t know how to explain it. I mean, I’m a millionaire in Dubai,” he said. He added that he told his wife at home and they “sat there in disbelief.”

The winner said the family plans to take a staged approach to using the money, including funding a prototype linked to a patent application his wife is working on, and potentially moving into a villa. He also said the win could help them access additional support for their son.

The operator said it has awarded more than AED 300 million in prizes to more than 340,000 winners across its portfolio, including Lucky Day, Scratch Cards, and E-Instants. Lucky Day draws run every Wednesday and Saturday, with prizes including the AED 30 million grand prize and AED 5 million second prize. The company said all games are regulated by the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA).

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