If it feels far too early to be thinking about Christmas, you’re not alone. But across Spain, the country’s biggest lottery is already on sale, despite there still being more than five months to go until the draw.
The famous Christmas Lottery, known as El Gordo, officially went on sale this week. With the draw taking place on December 22, many Spaniards waste no time buying their favourite numbers, especially if they have a lucky date, family tradition or a number linked to their town or workplace.
For many people, buying a ticket has become as much a part of Christmas as putting up the tree. It’s common for families, friends, businesses, bars and sports clubs to share the same number, meaning entire communities can celebrate together if they win.
Spain’s Christmas lottery: Big prizes
The Christmas Lottery is also famous for its enormous prize fund. This year’s draw will pay out around €2.87 billion in prizes, making it the largest lottery in the world by total prize money.
A full ticket, known as a billete, costs €200. Most people buy a décimo, or one tenth of a ticket, for €20. If your number wins the top prize, each €20 décimo is worth €400,000 before any applicable tax.
While many countries only start talking about Christmas as autumn approaches, Spain does things differently. Lottery administration offices begin selling tickets every July, giving people plenty of time to secure the numbers they want before popular ones sell out.
So yes, it may still be beach weather across the Costa Blanca, but if you spot Christmas Lottery posters appearing in your local lottery shop, there’s no mistake. Christmas has officially arrived… at least where El Gordo is concerned.
