World’s richest lottery spreads Christmas cheer in Spain

MADRID — Spain’s annual Christmas lottery doled out 2.4 billion euros ($2.9 billion) to multiple winners on Tuesday, spreading holiday cheer in one of the European nations worst hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

Unlike other big lotteries that generate just a few big winners, “El Gordo” (The Fat One) aims to share the wealth, with thousands of numbers getting a prize.

The total prize money involved makes it the world’s richest lottery.

Lottery sellers of the popular “Dona Manolita” lottery outlet celebrate selling the first prize of Spain’s Christmas lottery draw “El Gordo” (the Fat One) in Madrid on December 22, 2020. (Photo by OSCAR DEL POZO / AFP)

El Gordo shelled out 400,000 euros to the lucky holders of tickets bearing this year’s top-prize number, 72897. A total of 1,720 tickets bearing this number were sold across the country.

“It’s an enormous reward during a very difficult year,” Manuel Rodriguez, a lottery salesman from northwestern Spain who sold several winning tickets, told local media.

“We are happy that it landed here amongst our neighbors, that is what we work for, to spread prizes and dreams among our neighbors.”

As in other years, winners gathered at lottery offices that sold winning tickets to celebrate with champagne and confetti, temporarily dispensing with social distancing and mask-wearing amid the euphoria.

In keeping with tradition children from a Madrid school that was once an orphanage called out the winning numbers in a nationally televised draw although this year there was no live audience present.

The Christmas lottery has been held uninterrupted since 1892, even during Spain’s 1936-39 civil war, when each side held its own draw.

It has become a popular Christmas tradition in Spain, with friends, colleagues, and bar regulars banding together to buy tickets costing 20 euros apiece.