Try your hand at the Spanish Christmas Lottery- El Gordo!

The Spanish Christmas lottery is called “El Gordo”- this translates as “The Fat One”. It is a brilliant occasion that most of the nation gets involved with. The tradition started way back, in Cadíz, in 1812, when the government wanted to raise money to send troops to fight the forces of Napolean. It became an annual tradition for the whole population.

How They made it accessible to everyone.

A billete is a ticket and one ticket will cost you 200 euros. Obviously, most people can´t afford a ticket by themselves so the tickets are divided into 10. This is called a décimo and the price is around 20 euros. This is still more than most people can afford to gamble, so a lot of families or groups of friends get together and share a décimo or, if they can afford it, a billete. Most of the billetes are bought by groups of people or businesses.

You have probably seen posters in your local bar of the ticket number that the establishment has bought. Everyone wants a share of this, so the bar owner will then divide the décimos into a participación (stake), which is much more affordable. This also means that all of the bars regulars can be a part of it. 

There is an estimated average, per person in Spain, of 16 euros spent on the Gordo each year. The government organises the lottery and 70% of the money collected from the purchase of tickets is distributed back in prizes. There will be an estimated 24.4 million prizes distributed. The top prize for the winning ticket is around 4 million euros, so most will win 400,000 euros. Nobody is going to become a millionaire, however there is a much bigger chance of winning a considerable prize. 

Participating in this annual custom is, however, not all about the prizes. It is a family ritual, to buy your ticket and watch the show. As important as any xmas traditions anywhere in the world. 

The slogan adopted by the National Christmas Lottery is, “El mayor premio es compartirlo” which means “The best prize is sharing”!

The winning numbers are drawn on the 22nd December and the television show that broadcasts the draw is an extraordinary spectacle! The numbers are drawn by children from the “Il Delfonso Elementary School” in Madrid. As they draw a number they have to sing it loudly. If you go into any bar or cafe on 22nd you will hear the dulcet tones of the kids singing their numbers.

The team at Jacaranda Spain like to promote the Spanish lifestyle and this is a tradition we all love to be a part of! 

So, what are you waiting for? You can buy a ticket at a kiosk in the bigger towns, or your local Tabac (tobacconist) or, even better, go and buy a participación from your local bar and go and watch it on the 22nd!

You can also play online if you click on the link;

https://www.elgordo.com/en

Buena suerte! Good luck!