The Biggest Lottery in the World

Every year, there’s a moment when the lively and loud Spanish people collectively hold their breath. On December 22, it doesn’t matter where you are—at work or on holiday—you have to tune in to the TV or at least listen to the radio with excitement for the Christmas Lottery draw.

The Lotería de Navidad, or Christmas Lottery, is a traditional and extremely popular event in Spain. It's one of the oldest lotteries in the world, dating back to 1812.

What makes it stand out is its massive prize pool and unique prize distribution system. With a total prize fund that typically exceeds €2 billion, it’s one of the biggest lotteries globally. The grand prize, known as El Gordo (The Fat One), is the most sought-after, with several million euros up for grabs for each winning ticket. Yes, you read that right—the grand prize is shared among all the tickets in the winning series, not just one.

Ever heard the saying, “Make hay while the sun shines”?

Well, the Spanish have a version of that when it comes to the Christmas Lottery. The buzz about Lotería de Navidad starts as early as summer. Loterías y Apuestas del Estado, the official body that organizes the lottery, begins promoting tickets, encouraging people to buy them while on vacation with friends or family. The idea is to have as many different ticket series as possible. There’s even an entire secondary market on top of the official one. From the largest cities to the smallest villages, you’ll see signs in bar windows or shopfronts saying things like, “We have series 76543.” You can buy a ticket for a series you’ve been chasing, but not for the usual €20, as it would cost at official outlets—here, you’ll pay €23.

On average, each Spaniard spends €76.67 on tickets, but in 2022, in the city of Soria (with a population of 40,000), the average spent per person was an incredible €276.21! It’s pure madness, but remember—there isn’t just one winner; there are hundreds, even thousands of winners.

In 2023, the draw, which lasted several hours, took place on a Friday and handed out a total of €2.59 billion in prizes, €70 million more than in 2022! The El Gordo winning number was 88.008, with a prize of €4 million per series. Aside from the grand prize, there are 15,000 other prizes, ranging from €400,000 down to €100.

Here are a few more interesting facts about the Christmas Lottery:

• The draw can last over three hours due to the large number of prizes and the artistic performances that accompany it.
• Instead of using a machine to select the winning numbers, the lottery enlists children from the "San Ildefonso" school to sing the drawn numbers and prizes. This tradition adds a unique and emotional touch to the event.
• The winning numbers and prizes are written on wooden balls, which are placed in a large drum. The drum is then manually spun to mix the balls before the numbers are drawn.

For many Spaniards, the Christmas Lottery marks the beginning of the holiday season. But it’s not just for them anymore. As holidays in Spain have become more popular, it’s easy for anyone to join the excitement. If you’re visiting Barcelona, Madrid, Málaga, or any other city in Spain, why not pick up a lottery ticket with your favorite series? Good luck!