Living In The Costa Blanca - El Gordo The Christmas Lottery

During the lead up to Christmas in Spain would not be complete without El Gordo which is one of the oldest lotteries in the world. The name means the Fat One and is much more than just a lottery, it has become an event that the nation awaits in anticipation every. Millions participate and there is a very high jackpot and unusual way of giving out the prizes. If you are living in the Costa Blanca why not try your luck too!!!

The History of El Gordo in Spain

 It originally started in 1812 in the southern city of Cadiz to raise funds to buy and make amunitions to fight French troops who were attacking them during the Napoleanic invasion. The lottery has since become a cherished tradition which many participate in buying tickets in groups and getting together for the climatic drawing of the winning numbers.

How it Works

The lottery still uses the same method as that of the original 1812 drawer but, now people throughout Spain participate with excitement. The tickets have five digit numbers from 00000 to 99999 which are distributed with 100,000 different combinations throughout the county. The tickets can be purchased online or from a local vendor. and have a jackpot of about four million euros. You buy a share of the number for 20 euro per ticket, the number will be a fraction of the total series of that number so there is no one winner. The prize for the winning number will be distributed proportionally to those with the same numbered ticket. Many work places and clubs choose to club together to buy more than one ticket to increase their chances of winning something.

What you could win if you buy a lucky ticket in the Costa Blanca

The Christmas jackpot – El Gordo – is four million Euros to be shared among those who have the winning number on their ticket, the second prize is a share of 1.25 million euros followed by 500,000 euros, 200,000 euros 60,000 euros and lastly the face value of the ticket back. Additionally, there are other smaller prizes known as pedreas which are also distributed.

The Drawer

The Lottery draw in takes place every year on 22nd December and, since most families and offices in Spain, will have purchased at least one ticket, the excitement is tangible. All nationalities living in the Costa Blanca and other parts of the country can participate in this extravaganza and await with baited breath to see if they might have won a share of a life-changing sum of money. The drawer begins at 9am a people will gather together to watch the live televised drawer of this event, some will have the tradition of gathering in the streets of their town to celebrate. The draw itself takes place in Madrid at the Teatro Real, not only is it televised throughout the Spanish Peninsula but, also steamed live throughout the world. The drawer is made from two large golden drums containing wooden balls with all the numbers and their prize amounts. Forty children from the local school of San Ildefonso sing each of the winning numbers taking it in turns to sing in pairs. The entire drawer can take over three hours because of the incredible number of prizes actually available. Lucky winners must claim their prize within three months of the drawer.

Might Costa Blanca Homeowners have a lucky ticket?

You might be wondering since there is such a large participation in El Gordo whether there is any real chance of winning anything. The answer is yes, perhaps not of the jackpot but of one of the prizes. Over the last few years winning tickets have been sold and won, in Pedreguer, Denia, Moraira and most recently Javea. 

Conclusion

El Gordo is not just a lottery it has become deeply important to Spanish culture and traditions bringing communities throughout Spain together in the lead up to Christmas, the hope of significantly changing lives with financial security is just part of the excitement. El Gordo also generates substantial revenue for the Spanish government which is used towards public services and boosting the economy. So if you buy a home in the Costa Blanca why not join in with your local community and enjoy this entertaining and unique part of the local Christmas celebrations.