Beach town strikes jackpot in Spain’s ‘El Gordo’ lottery

Long queues formed at shops on Saturday as people hoped to buy a winning share in Spain’s Christmas lottery, known as El Gordo (the Fat One), which will hand out €2.24bn.

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

Feeling jealous? Well, you shouldn’t because you can play the next one (which takes place in a year’s time), even if you’re not from Spain.

Although a total $2.4 billion will be won at the annual lottery of El Gordo, it is so arranged so that no single individual will win the whole amount – Christmas is for sharing and so as many winners as possible will be allowed to win significant amounts.

Lottery fever gripped Spain on Tuesday (Wednesday NZ Time) as thousands celebrated wins in the El Gordo draw with prizes totalling €2.24 billion (NZ$3.6 billion), offering a welcome distraction from political concerns after an inconclusive election.

“With unmatched 1 in 100,000 odds of winning a £2.8 million jackpot with each ticket bought, it is no wonder why the Spanish Christmas Lottery is such a phenomenon”.

Ticket sales were higher than a year ago, suggesting a loosening of the purse strings in a country that is rebounding from an economic crisis that left almost one in four workers out of a job.

Tickets cost 200 euros ($218) each, but groups of would-be winners often go in together on tickets and split the prize.

“I feel a great joy, mainly because it’s so well spread out, especially among workers”, he said. Although it’s operated out of Spain, anyone in the world can buy a ticket online.

And that is not all, the website goes on to add that “The El Gordo lottery pays out more lottery prizes than any other lottery draw in the world, which is why the Spanish Christmas lottery is the biggest lottery payout in the world”.

The drawing began shortly after 0800 GMT on Tuesday in a nationally televised event from Madrid’s Teatro Real opera house.