Tuesday 30 May 2017

The Spanish Christmas Lottery (Loteria de Navidad)

The Spanish Christmas Lottery (Loteria de Navidad)

Over €2.24 billion in prizes were dispersed on 22nd December 2014 at the Spanish Christmas Lottery also known as the Loteria de Navidad. With 1 in 7 odds of winning, almost 28 million players won prizes.

Fast Facts of Loteria de Navidad:


· The €2.24 billion in prizes makes the lottery it the largest prize pool in the world

· 100,000 attainable default numbers, all including a 5-digit code which range from 00000-99999

· 160 exact replicas of every ticket is printed out

· Every ticket consist of 10 shares which are available for purchased independently

· 10 shares * 160 copies * 100,000 tickets = 160 million shares available!

· Odds of winning the top €4 million prize is 1:100,000 – 160 potential jackpot winner tickets

· Winning a prize has attractive odds starting at 1:7

· There are over 24 million total ways to win prizes

Media Attention of The Spanish Christmas Lottery 


In the months leading up to the Spanish Christmas Lottery draw there is tremendous media attention in news stories, reports as well as TV commercials.

The annual draw attracts 98% of Spanish adults with millions watching as students of San Ildefonso School sing out the winning numbers in Madrid at the Loteria Nacional hall.

There are 15,304 different ways to win on each ticket and the event usually goes on for 3 hours or until the complete pool of prizes has been won.

Find out about the World’s Biggest Raffle Jackpot


The Spanish Christmas El Gordo Lottery known in the vicinity as the Lotería de Navidad, is a yearly nationwide raffle. The Spanish raffle began in 1812 over 200 years ago and takes place around Christmas time.

The raffle is known as the largest lottery in the world with €2.24 billion in prizes and winning odds of a prize starting at an attractive 1:7. There are over 27 million chances to win.

History of Lotería de Navidad 


The first Lotería de Navidad’s draw took place in the city of Cadiz on December 1812. The hope was to increase state income for the public tax authority. Since then it has been organized by the Spanish Public Administration.

The first draw in Madrid took place in 1814 and has since become the focus of the Spanish National Lottery draws.

The numbers in the Spanish Christmas El Gordo Lottery are chosen in a unique way, very different compared to other lotteries around the world: the San Ildefonso School students draw the numbers and sing them out loud to the public in Madrid at the Lotería Nacional Hall!

Lotería de Navidad Rules


A total of 100,000 Spanish Christmas Lottery tickets (billets) are printed with 5-digital codes that range from 00000-99999. Because of the popularity of the game, 160 copies of every ticket is printed.

The ticket is divided into ‘décimos’ or 10 shares and can be purchased separately. Here is the formula that depicts the massive number of shares available for the draw this year on December 22nd:

  • 10 shares * 160 copies * 100,000 tickets = 160 million shares
  • The disbursement of prizes, amount of tickets and shares, as well as their costs can vary from one year to the next. 
  • In 2004, there had been 66,000 unique 5-digit numbered tickets in 195 copies. 
  • In 2005, the quantity of tickets available to buy was 85,000 that were supplied in 170 prints. 
  • In 2011, you had 99,000 tickets issued in 160 prints. 

How the Lotería de Navidad El Gordo is Won


The Lotería de Navidad El Gordo gives unmatched winning probabilities starting at 1:7 for the world’s largest lottery reward pool of €2.24 billion.

The biggest reward obtainable in this raffle draw is €4 million, with an incredible 1:100,000 odds of grabbing the premier prize - nearly 1,160 times greater than the probabilities of winning the EuroMillions grand prize!

Any participant possessing all ten shares of the winning 1st prize ticket is entitled to claim the jackpot prize of €4 million which is around US $5.1 million.

Lotería de Navidad awards €640 million in overall jackpot rewards to the winning raffle code of the 160 tickets. 

Around 98% of Spanish adults will participate in the Spanish Christmas El Gordo Lottery festivities, even if they don’t usually take part in other local or global lotteries.

Over 27.5 million shareholders are expected to receive rewards from the 15,304 probable winning combinations on each ticket.

There will be a limited number of tickets available as the draw gets nearer, so go to Lottosend.com before the draw closes on December 21st and get your tickets online!