Spain’s Christmas Raffle is arguably the most famous lottery game in the world, thanks to its estimated 2.3 billion Euro in prize money available to be won. One of the most lucrative European lotteries, it takes place on December 22 each year. Aside from the incredible grand prize players can win with it, many people outside Spain don’t know what makes this game a standout among lotteries or why worldwide fans keep playing it year after year. The raffle has many interesting fun facts, so let’s delve right in and find out what they are.

The El Gordo de Navidad Spanish Christmas Raffle is a huge event in Spain. It’s not just the amount of prize money that can be won that gets people excited – it’s also the fact that the game has been played for over 200 years. Spanish citizens have been playing (and winning) for centuries and now thanks to the internet and PlayHugeLottos, you stand a chance to win your share of the mammoth €2.38 billion prize fund, not to mention the incredible grand prize. That’s right, this isn’t some newfangled lottery game – it’s a tried-and-true!

The Spanish term “el Gordo” refers to the enormous jackpot grand prize that’s won every year by lottery players across Spain. However, most players are unaware of why this game is so distinct, or why tickets are so coveted among lottery enthusiasts.

Every Christmas, Spaniards go lottery crazy, forming queues for hours to purchase tickets for the country’s most celebrated Christmas lottery in the hope to win the grand prize with their winning numbers. Ticket sales go through the roof and friends and family love to club together and buy a décimo or a full lottery ticket and congregate in bars and restaurants to watch the live draw.

For newly registered players on PlayHugeLottos, this informative article will explain the fundamentals of this unique Spanish Christmas lottery and relay interesting fun facts and interesting figures about this incredibly lucrative Spanish raffle.

The ‘Sorteo Extraordinario de Navidad’, more commonly known as the ‘El Gordo’ (Fat One), is a national lottery that has been held in Spain every year since 1812. The draw takes place on December 22, which Spaniards celebrate as National Lottery Day.

An astonishing 180,000 tickets are printed for each draw, with each ticket costing €200. Of these 180,000 tickets, only 100,000 are actually put up for sale to the public as the remaining 80,000 are used for promotional purposes or retained by the lottery organizers.

Each ticket number is made up of a unique five-digit number, with there being no duplicate tickets in each year’s draw. This means that if you were to purchase a Spanish Christmas lottery ticket, the chances of your winning numbers winning the grand prize are significantly higher than in other lotteries where duplicate numbers are often drawn.

The Spanish Raffle is drawn in a public event that is open to the public and televised live on national television. Every year, the draw takes place in Madrid on December 22nd, the day before Christmas Eve.

The way the raffle is drawn makes it even more unique. Rather than having one central drawing location, like most lotteries, the raffle uses what’s called a “Christmas drum.” This massive tumbler is filled with balls, each of which has a five-digit number printed on it.

During the draw, which lasts for about two hours, balls containing numbers from 00000 to 999999 are drawn from a rotating glass drum. The winning numbers are then placed in wire cages, which are displayed on stage for everyone to see.

There are a total of 100,000 unique winning numbers in the Christmas drum, which correspond to the 100,000 tickets and winning numbers that are up for sale to the public. As the Christmas drum is spun, a child from a local school, San Ildefonso school, is chosen to sing out the winning numbers and corresponding prize amounts until they reach the grand prize number wins.

This tradition has been in place since 1812 and is now televised across Spain, with people eagerly awaiting to see if their winning numbers are called. As each ball is drawn, the winning number is announced and people wait in anticipation to see if they have won a prize. There can be up to 180 prizes awarded in each draw, with the top grand prize being worth €400,000.

The Spanish Raffle offers players some of the best odds of any lottery in the world.

With there being 100,000 tickets available for each draw and only 180,000 balls in the Christmas drum, your odds of winning a prize are a staggering one in two.

The Spanish Raffle is a hugely popular event in Spain and it is not uncommon for people to take the day off work or school so that they can watch the draw live on TV. There is a great sense of excitement and anticipation in the lead-up to the event, and it is something that everyone looks forward to each year.

Once the draw has taken place, players who purchased tickets will receive a results email with the winning numbers. The winning numbers can also be found under Lotto Results on the site.

The El Gordo de Navidad has been running since 1812. It was created by the Spanish government in an effort to raise money for the country’s war efforts against Napoleon (Spanish Cival War). The lottery gets its name from the fact that it was the first-ever lottery to offer a grand prize of one million pesetas (which is equivalent to around €12,000).

The raffle is now firmly entrenched in Spanish culture and is seen as a way for people to bring good luck to themselves and their families for the year ahead. Every Christmas, people across Spain look forward to the draw taking place. The excitement builds in the weeks leading up to Christmas Day, with people eagerly buying their lottery tickets and dreaming of what the Spanish Christmas Raffle would do if they won the jackpot with their winning numbers.

Spanish Christmas Raffle adverts are always a big event in Spain. Some of the most famous and iconic Spanish adverts have been for this extraordinary raffle game.

In recent years, the adverts have become more of an event in itself, with celebrities and well-known faces appearing in them. The most recent advert featured Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann.

There are many reasons why people love to play the El Gordo lottery;

• Firstly, it is one of the biggest lotteries in the world, with a top prize of €400,000. This makes it very attractive to players who are looking for a chance to win a life-changing amount of money playing their winning numbers.
• Another reason why people love to play the Spanish Christmas lottery is that it is a very fair game. The overall odds of winning the top prize are one in 100,000, which means that everyone has a fair chance of matching the winning numbers.
• Finally, the Spanish Raffle is a very festive event and it is a great way to get into the Christmas spirit. The draw takes place on December 22nd, the day before Christmas Eve, and it is a hugely anticipated event in Spain.

So, if you are looking for a chance to win big money and you want to celebrate Christmas in style, then the El Gordo lottery is the perfect game for you to play your winning numbers.

List the biggest Spanish Christmas raffle winners ever.

• In 2012, a couple from Madrid won €720 million with their winning numbers. The husband had bought the ticket with his Christmas bonus from work and matched the winning numbers.
• In 2015, a family from Valencia won €400 million. They chose to remain anonymous but said they would use the money to pay off their mortgage and help their children.
• In 2016, a lottery ticket matched the winning numbers. The ticked was sold in Barcelona and won €294 million.
• In 2017, four friends from Madrid who had been buying their lottery ticket together for years won €266 million. They said they would continue to play the lottery and hoped to win again!
• In 2018, a ticket sold in Seville won €120 million. The winner was a retired man who said he would use the money to travel and help his family.
• In 2019, a ticket sold in Tenerife also matched with winning numbers and won €82 million. The winner was a woman who said she would use the money to pay off her debts and help her family.

As you can see, there have been some massive Spanish Christmas lottery winners over the years!

Who knows, maybe you could be next? Why not try your luck, play your winning numbers and see if you can become one of the biggest El Gordo de Navidad winners ever?

So there you have it, some interesting facts and figures about the Spanish Christmas raffle. We hope you enjoyed learning about this popular lottery game and why so many people love to play it. Remember, if you’re feeling lucky, be sure to buy your tickets early – who knows, maybe you’ll be the next big winner!

¡Buena Suerte! (Good luck!)

Do you have any interesting facts or figures about the Spanish Raffle? Share them with us in the comments below! And don’t forget to check out our website for all the latest news and results from the world of lotteries. ¡Hasta la próxima! (Until next time!)