The number for Spain’s Christmas lottery jackpot was selected almost three hours after the draw began on Friday (December 22) with the top prize, known as “El Gordo” (The Fat One), was fully rewarded in the northern city of Logrono.
Children of San Ildefonso called out the ‘72,480’, a number for four million euro jackpot, which sent crowds at Madrid’s Royal Theatre into a frenzy.
The total prize pot by the Spanish National Lottery reached 2.71 billion euros ($2.83 billion) in 2024, slightly more than last year’s 2.59 billion.
In the months leading up to the draw, it is common for relatives, co-workers, group of friends of club members to buy tickets or fractions of them together.
The most common ticket costs 20 euros, offering up to 400,000 euros in prize money, before taxes.
The lottery tradition dates back to 1812, when Spain was under French occupation during the Napoleonic Wars and the draw was designed to raise funds to fight.
(Reuters)