Australian cricket legend Brett Lee has taken on a promotional role with the UAE Lottery as the state lottery continues to establish a foothold in its home market.
The former fast bowler has become Chief Celebration Officer for the UAE Lottery, a public-facing role where he will meet lottery winners, hear how they intend to use their prizes, and share their experiences.
The latter will be facilitated via exclusive content, community appearances, and fan engagement. His new role with the UAE Lottery marks a first for the company in the sports space, and a big expansion of its marketing and promotional endeavours.
Lee will feature in winner interviews, community activations, and fan experiences across the UAE. The company states that its main intention via this new initiative is to give audiences “greater insight into the people behind the prizes”.
A UAE Lottery statement read: “The appointment of Brett Lee reinforces The UAE Lottery’s commitment to delivering trusted, transparent and responsible entertainment within the UAE’s regulated commercial gaming sector.
“Throughout a career defined by world-class performances, major victories and memorable celebrations, Brett Lee has experienced many of sport’s greatest moments.”
The UAE Lottery held its first draw in November 2024 and opened its first retail shop this year, although its establishment was in the pipeline for years prior as the government looked for new ways to diversify its economy and provide new experiences for its huge tourism industry and immigrant population.
There are around 250,000 UAE residents who are British citizens, the UK being the birthplace of Lee’s sport of cricket. His home nation, Australia, is also the birthplace of some 24,000 UAE residents according to the Prime Minister of Australia’s office.
The UAE Lottery will likely be banking on collaborations with sporting faces like Lee – who at his peak was one of the fastest cricket bowlers in the world and found success across all three formats of cricket – to connect to its audience at home, with cricket being hugely popular in the UAE.
Lee will be familiar to both British and Australian residents of the UAE due to his repeated appearances in the Ashes, routinely dealing blows against England for his home nation, as well as some heavy handed bowls against UK TV presenter Piers Morgan back in 2013.
As it stands, however, the UAE Lottery is only accessible to non-UAE citizens, who make up just 11% of the country’s population, for religious and cultural reasons.
The same is said of the wider gambling industry, which has been expanding in the UAE in the form of regulated sports betting and casino gaming, in tandem with the UAE Lottery’s expansion.