El Gordo giveth: Beach town hits jackpot in Spain’s lottery

“The biggest winning ticket of the “el Gordo” Spanish Christmas is usually worth about 3 million euros in total, but what makes the Spanish Christmas lottery the biggest in the world, is that there are many winning numbers with prizes of smaller amounts”, according to travel website Barcelona Yellow.

Tickets bearing the largest slice of the prize – around 4 million euros – were sold in the southern beach city of Roquetas de Mar, The Associated Press reported on Tuesday morning.

Individuals chip in and purchase shares of many or several tickets in Spain in one among the most famous Christmas customs among families, friends or workmates.

Lottery fever gripped Spain on Tuesday as thousands celebrated wins in the El Gordo lottery draw with prizes totaling 2.24 billion euros ($2.45 billion), bringing relief from political woes after an inconclusive election.

Across the nation, people stay glued to the television as lower level winning numbers are announced until El Gordo is sung out.

The lottery has taken on special importance in recent years as Spain struggled through a real estate bubble and the European debt crisis.

Gabriel said 87 percent of his tickets were sold online, but about 300,000 people made the pilgrimage up the windy road to Sort to buy them in person, many coming in organized weekend bus trips. “It’s very important for the town, especially in the hard times we’ve been facing”.

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

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

Spain established its national lottery as a charity in 1763, during the reign of King Carlos III, but its objective gradually shifted toward filling state coffers.

Spain’s yearly Christmas lottery, affectionately called “El Gordo”, is showering riches on a beach town that has fallen on hard times.