CHRISTMAS has arrived in Spain as ‘EL Gordo’ lottery sees billions of euros given out to lucky winners.
Spain drew the winners of the 2024’s Christmas lottery yesterday, December 22, marking the start of the festive season.
The total prize pot of the state-run lottery reached €2.71bn this year, exceeding 2023’s €2.59bn.
‘El Gordo’, or the ‘Fat One’ is the main €400.000 prize and was snagged by tickets bought in Logroño, the capital of La Rioja.
However, the money will not remain up north as most of the tickets were bought by Club Deportivo Distrito Olimpico, a basketball club in Madrid’s working class neighbourhood, San Blas-Canillejas.
Many prizes have also gone to areas hard hit by recent DANA storms, with locals in Catarroja, Paiporta, Aldaia, Alfafar and Requena taking home their share of the €50,000 prize.
But most of the winning tickets were purchased in Bilbao, with four winners taking home €20,000.
The lottery dates back over 200 years, after it was established in 1812 to fund Spain in the Napoleonic war.
Today, it is the second-longest continuously running lottery in the world and takes place every year on December 22.
It is televised nationally from Madrid’s Teatro Real and pupils from San Ildefonso school pick the winners.
Spaniards watch the draw with bated breath, clutching their ‘lucky’ numbers in the hope of snatching a life changing sum.