For veteran and newbie punters everywhere, the Spanish lottery, el Gordo is probably the king of all jackpots. But, what makes this lottery so special? Could it be the beautiful tradition that touches the hearts of people all over Spain and around the world? Or maybe it is the opportunity to win the biggest lottery prize that gets gamers excited?
There is a lot about the Spanish El Gordo lottery that gets punters eager to buy lottery tickets. El Gordo in Spanish means “the fat one” and we can tell you definitively that the jackpot is a fat one. This particular lottery is a big deal than others mostly because it is once a year at Christmas. There is also a lovely tradition attached to it and it is a great way of fostering unity and togetherness.
Today we want to share a few things about the Spanish Christmas lottery that should get you started.
A Brief History of the Spanish Christmas Lottery
If you walk down the streets of Spain in December, you will be greeted with festive lights and happy faces. Lots of people look forward to the Christmas lottery and you can literally feel the excitement in the air. But, it was not always that way.
The Spanish El Gordo lottery first started as a way for the government to raise funds during wartime. At that time, Spain was fighting against Napoleon and the government needed money to cover the war expenses. So, the lottery was created and the first draw was in Cadiz in 1812.
Interestingly, El Gordo has lasted for more than 200 years, so this lottery is more than 2 centuries old. It has grown from its wartime origins to become part of the Christmas tradition in Spain. Friends, family and colleagues get together to celebrate the Christmas lottery with an entire town sharing a ticket sometimes.
Understanding the Spanish lottery El Gordo tickets
Okay, so if you want to take part in the Spanish lottery, El Gordo, there are a few things you need to know. The most important is how the tickets work. Yes, “the fat one” is a lottery, but you need to understand the way the tickets are divided and some of the words that are used.
First, a lottery ticket is called a Billete. One Billete is divided into 10 Decimos, which have the same number belonging to the same Serie. Basically, there are 170 numbers which are divided into Series. Each Billete has only one number, thus, there are 170 Billetes. A Decimo is each piece of the Bilette. So, a lottery ticket has 10 pieces.
The second point to note is that a Numero has a five-digit number. A Decimo can further be divided into Partipaciones. This means that a group of people can either decide to buy a Billete, then pick a Decimo each. Or, they can buy a single Decimo and share it into Partipaciones. So, no matter what your budget is, you can still participate in the Christmas lottery.
How does the prize work?
The jackpot prize for El Gordo is €4 million. That is a large amount of money for a single winner, except that there is no single winner in this lottery. This might sound strange, but the way the ticket is divided means that there will be 172 winners. So, you might wonder why punters go crazy over this lottery. What is so great about winning only a fraction of the prize money?
The beauty of the Spanish El Gordo lottery is being able to share the prize money with family, friends, and colleagues. An entire neighbourhood that shared a Decimo might be among the winners meaning that they can all celebrate together. This is a tradition that has held true for decades and it adds joy to the Christmas season.
How to buy El Gordo lottery tickets
So, how do you buy the Spanish Christmas lottery tickets if you do not live in Spain? There are online lottery ticket agents that let you take part in this wonderful tradition. If you buy your lottery tickets here on redfoxlotto.com, our agents purchase tickets for you in Spain. This way, you can participate in El Gordo from any part of the world.
What are you waiting for? Vist redfoxlotto.com for the chance to win a piece of history and tradition.