A Kerala resident has landed a life-changing Rs 10 million payout in the state lottery, just hours before he was planning to sell his family home.
Mohammed Bava was due to meet face-to-face with a potential buyer for his property on the same day as his lottery win was announced. Bava admitted in a recent interview that there were “no words to describe the emotions” of his family, who had struggled with personal finances in recent years.
Bava had turned to the state-led lottery as a speculative means of trying to win some money.
According to the Indian lottery review site LuckyDice, some 13 Indian states opted to legalise lottery games in 2015, with Kerala one of those regions to operate its own lottery under strict conditions, as per Live Heed. It’s just as well they did for Bava, who had developed something of a ritual in purchasing state lottery tickets with his friend, Ganesh, who runs a small store that sold tickets. Ganesh would WhatsApp him the day’s lottery results each afternoon.
A life-changing phone call
On July 25, Bava received lottery results that changed the fortunes of his family’s life. Once taxes are paid on the lottery winnings, Bava is expected to receive a windfall of Rs 6.3 million. Although he is unsure when he will receive the funds in his bank account, he is reassured that the lottery win will ensure all his debts are paid off in full.
Bava’s plight is not an uncommon story throughout India. His family had been middle-class for some time. He held down a good job contracting in the construction industry, but the decline of this sector meant contractors were first to be affected.
The Bava family had moved into their dream property and looked set for life until their recent struggles. The home was enlisted for sale and Bava had sought out a smaller, cheaper property for the family to rent in the meantime. However, following his lottery win, the family will no longer need to move on.
Bava’s honourable intentions with lottery windfall
With family debts approaching Rs 5 million, there won’t be a huge amount left in the kitty once these are repaid. Bava has revealed he wants to put his windfall to good use. His friend, Ganesh, “doesn’t have his own home”, so he plans to help him own a property as well as donate a portion to the poor.
Although this is something of a fairy-tale story in the end, it is a timely reminder of the harsh reality of the economic situation throughout India and beyond at present. With inflation surging nationwide and beyond, as can be seen in Trading Economics’ data, and energy prices skyrocketing, disposable incomes are becoming increasingly stretched.
It’s important to note that playing lottery games and similar regulated games should only be done by those who can afford it. It should never be considered as a “get rich quick” scheme, given there is absolutely no guarantee of winning. Nevertheless, state lotteries have had the ability to bring in much-needed revenue to help reinvest in public services and give the public hope for the future.
