Long lines, high hopes for Spain’s huge Christmas lottery

People who bought that number in a southern beach city were the luckiest ones this year. It also offers several hundred ways to win, giving ticket buyers that much more to hang on to when they dream of winning to fat, top prize.

Spaniards are estimated to spend more than R1 000 each on average for tickets for “El Gordo” according to the state lottery, RT reports.

Known as “El Gordo” or fatty or “the fat one”, this annual Christmas lottery is the largest in the world with nearly three-quarters of Spain’s 46 million population certain to play the lottery.

The draw pays out 400,000 euros for every 20 euros spent on a number – a total this year of 2.24 billion euros. Lottery officials say that can happen because bettors don’t pick their own numbers.

The lottery has taken on special importance as Spain as it struggles with high unemployment and austerity measures.

It’s operated out of Spain, but anyone can buy a ticket online.

Mayor Gabriel Amat told a local newspaper that he’s thrilled about the impact the massive lottery win will have on his town. While other national lotteries (and, in the USA, state and multi-state lotteries, such as Powerball and Mega Millions) offer bigger top prizes, El Gordo has the most money poured into it, and the most money poured back out, after the Spanish government’s 30 percent take off the top.

Ticket sales were higher than previous year, a sign that Spaniards are loosening their purse strings as the economy rebounds from a crisis that left almost one in four workers out of a job. Students then resold the tickets to raise money for a school trip, meaning the town was flush with winners. “And to top it off, they were distributed by the kids”.

This year, the Golden Witch office has sold about $54 million worth of tickets for two lottery draws – one on Tuesday and a smaller one on January 6, the Feast of the Epiphany – which most Spaniards consider an integral part of their end-of-year festivities.

“I feel a great joy, mainly because it’s so well spread out, especially among workers”, Jose Martin said.