For years, Mahzooz was one of the most talked-about weekly draws in the UAE, the kind of thing that came up in office conversations every Saturday night as people waited to see if their numbers had made them millionaires. If you have searched for Mahzooz recently, expecting to buy a ticket or check this week’s results, you have likely run into outdated articles, old app listings, and forum threads asking the same question everyone wants answered. Here is the clear, current picture of what actually happened.
Mahzooz Has Permanently Stopped Operating
According to Mahzooz’s own official website and its listing on the Google Play Store, the brand “has permanently ceased operations.” This is not a rumor or an assumption, it is the platform’s own current public statement, replacing the “temporary pause” language that was used when the shutdown first began.
The pause started on January 1, 2024, when Mahzooz and several other UAE raffle operators stopped selling tickets following a directive from a newly formed regulator, the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA). At the time, Mahzooz described it as a short-term break tied to the UAE’s effort to bring formal regulation to the country’s growing gaming and lottery sector. Many fans, and several websites still publishing today, expected the draw to return once the new licensing process was complete.
That return never materialized.
Why Mahzooz Never Came Back
The real turning point came in July 2024, when the UAE awarded its first national lottery license to a different company entirely: The Game LLC, operator of what is now known as the UAE Lottery.
Mahzooz’s parent company, Ewings, was one of the operators that had applied for that license, alongside its competitor Emirates Draw. Neither was selected. In a statement at the time, Ewings called the decision “disappointing,” noting that the company had kept its workforce on standby for months while awaiting the outcome, and said it was now looking into “new ventures” rather than restarting the original draw.
In the same statement, Ewings reflected on what Mahzooz had achieved during its run, noting that over three years it had operated 161 live draws, created 66 millionaires, and awarded more than AED 500 million to over 2 million players.
As of mid-2026, neither Mahzooz nor Emirates Draw has received approval to resume operations under the UAE’s current gaming framework, and there is no public indication that either brand plans to relaunch its original draw format.
What the Official Mahzooz Website Says Today
Visiting mahzooz.ae today confirms the same message: the platform no longer functions as a place to buy tickets or enter a draw. The site states that it remains online only for archival purposes, historical results, and information about its past charitable contributions. The same confirmation appears on Mahzooz’s official app store listings, both on Google Play and the App Store, which state the brand “has permanently ceased operations” and that the platforms now exist “solely for informational purposes.”
This is an important distinction for anyone searching for Mahzooz today: the website and app still exist and remain online, but neither functions the way it did before 2024.
A Decade-Defining Run While It Lasted
Before the pause, Mahzooz built a loyal following by turning an AED 35 entry, originally bundled with a bottle of water, into a weekly shot at a grand prize that could reach AED 20 million. According to its own operator, the draw produced 66 millionaires and distributed more than AED 500 million to over 2 million players across its three-year run.
Beyond the prize money, Mahzooz built its brand around community contribution, regularly partnering with organizations such as the Emirates Red Crescent, Al Jalila Foundation, and Dubai Autism Centre, framing each ticket purchase as a small act of giving back. That legacy is part of why so many people still search for the brand today, even though the draw itself is gone.
Watch Out: Scammers Are Still Using the Mahzooz Name
Because Mahzooz spent years as one of the UAE’s most recognized brands, it has unfortunately also become a target for impersonation. Mahzooz’s own fraud awareness page has stated that fraudulent websites have attempted to replicate its official site, and that scammers have sent messages using the brand’s name and logo, asking recipients to “verify” their identity or pay a fee to release a prize.
The platform’s consistent guidance has been simple: do not respond to unsolicited messages claiming you have won a Mahzooz prize, never share banking information to “unlock” winnings, and only trust information published on Mahzooz’s verified official channels.
Given that the draw is no longer active at all, any message today claiming you have won a recent Mahzooz prize should be treated as highly suspicious by default.
So What Replaced Mahzooz in the UAE?
For anyone looking for a legal way to participate in a UAE-based draw today, the landscape has shifted considerably since 2024. The UAE Lottery, operated by The Game LLC, now holds the country’s national lottery license. Alongside it, two long-running operators that secured separate approvals, Dubai Duty Free and Big Ticket Abu Dhabi, remain active and continue to run their own raffles under UAE gaming regulations.
The UAE’s regulator has been clear that only GCGRA-approved operators are permitted to legally run lottery or commercial gaming activities in the country. Mahzooz and Emirates Draw, despite their popularity, are not currently on that list.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mahzooz
Is Mahzooz still running in 2026?
No. Mahzooz’s own official channels state that the brand has permanently ceased operations. It has not held a draw since December 30, 2023.
Can I still buy a Mahzooz ticket?
No. Ticket sales, the website’s purchasing features, and the mobile app’s buying functions have all been disabled since the pause began.
What happened to money or balances people had in their Mahzooz accounts?
When the pause began, Mahzooz stated that existing customer accounts would remain active so users could request withdrawals of any outstanding balance through the platform’s standard process.
Why did Mahzooz stop permanently instead of resuming?
The UAE awarded its national lottery license to The Game LLC in July 2024. Mahzooz’s operator did not win that license and has since said it is exploring other business ventures instead of restarting the draw.
What replaced Mahzooz in the UAE?
The UAE Lottery, operated by The Game LLC under a GCGRA license, became the country’s official national lottery after receiving the license in 2024. Dubai Duty Free and Big Ticket Abu Dhabi also continue to operate as approved draws.
Is it safe to click on links claiming I won a Mahzooz prize?
No. Since the draw is no longer active, any message claiming a recent Mahzooz win should be treated as a scam. Never share banking details or pay a fee to “release” a prize.
