In Spain, the “El Gordo” lottery is as much a part of the Christmas season as gingerbread and mulled wine here. ‘The Fat One’ lives up to its name every year – this year around 2.7 billion euros will be recorded. You can also participate in the draw online from Austria on December 22.
A fever has struck all of Spain: “El Gordo”. Lottery fever always rages two days before Christmas. The lucky number draw takes place in Madrid’s venerable Opera House.
Singing schoolchildren as a good luck charm
There are two lottery drums. The first, larger drum contains 100,000 wooden balls with the lottery numbers. In the second 1800 wooden balls with the winning amounts. During the draw, two balls fall simultaneously from the two drums into a glass bowl. The numbers are recited by two schoolchildren from the Madrid boarding school San Ildefonso, who are considered good luck charms. The lottery is characterized by a consecutive series of ticket numbers from 00000 to 99999. Unlike other lotteries, all winnings are drawn exclusively from the tickets sold.
Main prize and various additional prizes
The ceremony on December 22 starts at 9 a.m. and lasts several hours, because many smaller prizes are also drawn. The draw will be broadcast live on TV and online. The main prize, called ‘El Gordo’, is four million euros for a whole ticket. It is paid out 193 times because each of the 100,000 ticket numbers is sold equally often. In addition, thousands of additional prizes will be raffled. This year, about 70 percent of Spaniards are playing, and each of them spent an average of 66 euros on tickets.
Most lottery players participate with tenth tickets (“Décimos”). For example, anyone who participates with a tenth ticket and wins the main prize will receive a maximum of 400,000 euros. But there are also hundredth tickets for sale for little money. If you want more for yourself if you win, you can choose a fifth, half or full ticket. Some Spaniards have their sights set on very specific ticket numbers and go to sales points to get their hands on those exact numbers. One thing is clear: the lower the bet, the lower the win.
Odds of winning 1 in 100,000
Founded more than 200 years ago, the lottery is considered the oldest in the world. Due to the total amount played, it is also known as the largest lottery in the world. Even in small towns there are points of sale of the state lottery company. The odds of getting the ticket number for the main prize are mathematically the same everywhere: 1 in 100,000. Every sixth ticket already wins. Nevertheless, many Spaniards want to try their luck and buy the tickets, for example in a place called “Glück” (city in Catalonia).
In Spain, the Christmas lottery is a huge spectacle: some people buy their tickets in July, but most people queue up in front of the more than 10,000 outlets in the days before Christmas and gossip with neighbors or even strangers. They all share the hope of one day winning the big prize.
Available separately online
Thanks to Lottoland, Austrians can also participate online and be part of the annual celebration. The “El Gordo” tickets are available online. Unlike Spain, Austrians benefit from a special feature: in Austria, lottery winnings are tax-free. This means that Austrian winners can keep the full amount of their winnings.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
