INMO Associates

El Gordo (the fat one) is the common name for the Spanish Christmas lottery. Drawn each year just before Christmas, on the 22nd December, it has the largest prize fund of any lottery in the world!

The Spanish spend more per head on gambling than anywhere else in the world. This is not because they are habitual gamblers but simply because the Christmas lottery is a tradition in which the whole nation partakes!

Unlike many modern lotteries in which you choose numbers and hope to match 3, 4 or 5 numbers, El Gordo is still run along the lines of a traditional raffle in which you buy a ticket with a number already printed. Match the number on the ticket to that drawn and you win 1st prize… sounds simple? Well its not! There are 85,000 different numbers and you don’t buy a ticket you purchase a tenth of a ticket.

So…there are 85,000 numbers from 00001 to 85000, each 85,000 numbers are given to 180 “Series”, each “Serie” is divided into 10 “Decimas” and each “decima” costs €20

€20x 10 decimas = 200 x 85,000 numbers = 17,000,000 x 180 series brings in a total El Gordo prize fund of 3,060,000,000€ !

The Spanish government then take 30% which “just” leaves €2.142 Billion for prizes.

A lot of money for prizes but then El Gordo has a lot of prizes… 13,334 different prizes to be exact!

1st Prize - €3,000,000 per “serie” (€300,000 per “decima” applies to all)

2nd Prize - €1,000,000

3rd Prize - €500,000

2 x 4th Prizes - €200,000

8 x 5th Prizes - €50,000

1,774 x 6th prizes of €1,000

That’s the “Principal prizes” out of the way but there are also a whole host of secondary prizes on offer:

2 x €20,000 for the numbers either side of the 1st prize

2 x €12,500 for the numbers either side of the 2nd prize

2 x €9,600 for the numbers either side of the 2nd prize

99 x €1,000 for the numbers with the 1st three numbers that match the 1st prize

99 x €1,000 for the numbers with the 1st three numbers that match the 2nd prize

99 x €1,000 for the numbers with the 1st three numbers that match the 3rd prize

198 x €1,000 for the numbers with the 1st three numbers that match the 4th prizes

849 x €1,000 for the numbers with the last two numbers that match the 1st prize

849 x €1,000 for the numbers with the last two numbers that match the 2nd prize

849 x €1,000 for the numbers with the last two numbers that match the 3rd prize

8499 x €200 for the numbers with the last number that match the 1st prize

On the morning of the 22nd of December each year Spain pretty much comes to a halt and the normal noise and chatter is replaced by the sound of children singing… Why? It is one of the strange traditions that each year children from a junior school are invited to “sing” the numbers as they are drawn.

El Gordo is drawn from two very large spherical cages. In one a ball for each number from 00001 - 85,000 is placed and in the other 1,787 balls representing the prizes. Over the course of the morning prizes and their corresponding numbers are drawn. This means the tension lasts longer as the 1st prize, el gordo, is not necessarily the 1st number drawn!

From around mid September onwards, when the 1st el gordo tickets go on sale, clubs, societies, bars, offices and factories choose a number. This number will be purchased by everyone belonging to that organisation. The reasoning being that everyone can share in the joy or anguish that the 22nd December brings!

With €20 being a large amount, and as a means to raise funds, many organisation produce parts of “decimas”. For example a charitable organisation will sell tickets at €2.50 in which €2 goes to the cost of the “decima” and €0.50 to the charity. Other organisations such as Unions and Bars will sell the tickets at €2.50 and not cover a donation.

I’ve purchased an El Gordo ticket every year since I’ve been in Spain and have never really understood the rules and how many prizes were available. Having now researched it I have a feeling I may of thrown away a winning ticket…..it’s quite possible my ticket to millionaire society girl status has ended up in the office wastepaper bin, doh! Story of my life. Oh well, this time next year!!!!