Sorteo Extraordinario de Navidad. Lotería de Navidad.
Whichever local term you use in native Spanish (the country of origin of this Christmas raffle), these names refer to the same game – the Spanish Christmas lotto. It is officially one of the oldest lotteries in the world with its beginning having been cemented by a branch of the Spanish Public Administration in 1812. This happened due to a need to raise funds to cover the costs of the War of Independence.
Is There More to the Lotería de Navidad than Winning a Grand Prize?
More than just a way to make Euros quickly, the Lotería de Navidad has become a tradition and source of pride for Spain. Family members get together to buy tickets and play for the grand prize and many other lower-tier prizes.
On the 22 de Diciembre and with bated breath, a Spanish mother, daughter, father, and son will sit anxiously awaiting to check the El Gordo de Navidad results.
The El Gordo de Navidad (which translates literally to ‘The Christmas Jackpot’) is a special la Lotería de Navidad for many reasons: it only takes place once a year; is played by entire families, villages, and towns; and is considered one of the largest, most notable lotteries in the world, giving players the highest odds of winning the most Euros.
When to Play El Gordo de Navidad
La Lotería de Navidad can be played from anywhere in the world these days and offers players high odds of winning, budget-friendly buy-ins, and, of course, a HUGE number of prizes on offer!
The El Gordo de Navidad is an annual raffle draw that has been taking place for more than 200 years, with the first draw taking place in 1812.
While tickets are already available for purchase right now, the draw occurs at a predetermined location in Madrid, Spain, on the 22nd of December each year. Get your tickets sooner rather than later and remember, the more entries you buy, the higher your chances of winning become!
La Lotería de Navidad Offers the Best Prize Tiers
It’s easy to understand the popularity of this game if you look at the prize tier breakdown, with there being 1, 794 smaller prizes which are worth €1, 000.
There are a further 10, 000 additional El Gordo prizes which fall between €50 and €100. La Lotería pays prize money out exclusively in cash. If a certain number is drawn during the La Lotería de Navidad results, then all the tickets containing the series with that number qualify to win a corresponding prize.
It is because of the large number of series and jaw-dropping jackpot prize of €4 million per series that have led to many believing La Lotería de Navidad to be the largest lottery in the world.
Jackpot Prize Tiers
Prizes worth €2.52 billion are offered to players in the El Gordo de Navidad. The top prize tiers are set as follows:
First Prize Results in:
€4, 000, 000
Second Prize Results in:
€1, 250, 000
Third Prize Results in:
€500, 000
Fourth Prize Results in:
€200, 000
Fifth Prize Results in:
€60, 000
Your Chances of Winning El Gordo
Although rumor has it that El Gordo tickets have odds as high as a 15 – 30% chance of winning, the realistic likelihood of winning is lower and probably closer to 5%. A 1/20 chance still far exceeds the odds offered by many other games of chance!
