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The Spanish Lotería Nacional sponsors a number of special lottery draws throughout the year, with the
largest –
El Gordo – at Christmas time. Officially called the “Navidad” draw, this massive
event has been held annually for over a century. It is renowned not only for its huge prize payouts, but also for
its tradition of pomp and pageantry.
The draw takes place before a live audience at the Grand Salon of the Spanish National Lottery in Madrid. As
the winning numbers are drawn by hand from huge golden drums, children from the San Ildefonso College sing out
the corresponding prizes. The entire fantastic spectacle can take several hours to complete and the audience often
grows impatient waiting for the top prize to arrive. The custom of chanting “Gordo! Gordo!” (Spanish
for “big one”) has earned the lottery its famous nickname.
Players can win up to seven times on an individual ticket, and the odds of winning a prize are better than 1 in
7. The sheer number of jackpots (195 in the 2008 draw) plus the multitude of prize levels result in an
astronomical total of 2.3 Billion Euros in prize money awarded. It’s no wonder
El Gordo reigns supreme as the world’s richest lottery!
DRAW DAY
22nd December each year
JACKPOT PRIZE POOL
585 Million Euros
TOTAL PRIZE POOL
2.3 Billion Euros
DRAW FORMAT
Ticket numbers range from 00,000 to 84,999. Winning ticket numbers are drawn for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes,
as well as for over one thousand additional prizes. There are also prizes for partially matching the top
three winning numbers.
TAX STATUS
All winnings are awarded in a lump sum and are Spanish
tax-free.
PRIZE STRUCTURE*
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MAIN
PRIZES |
Match: |
Win: |
five-digit
1st prize number |
3,000,000 Euros |
five-digit
2nd prize number |
1,000,000 Euros |
five-digit
3rd prize number |
500,000 Euros |
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ADDITIONAL
PRIZES |
Match: |
Win: |
Any of
2 special numbers drawn |
200,000 Euros |
Any of
8 special numbers drawn |
50,000 Euros |
Any of
1,774 special numbers drawn |
1,000 Euros |
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SUBSIDIARY
PRIZES |
Match: |
Win: |
One digit higher or lower than the 1st prize number
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20,000 Euros |
One digit higher or lower than the 2nd prize number |
12,500 Euros |
One digit higher or lower than the 3rd prize number |
9,600 Euros |
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DECOMPOSABLE
PRIZES |
Match: |
Win: |
First 3 digits of the 1st prize number |
1,000 Euros |
First 3 digits of the 2nd prize number |
1,000 Euros |
First 3 digits of the 3rd prize number |
1,000 Euros |
First 3 digits of either of the two special prize numbers drawn |
1,000 Euros |
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Last 2 digits of the 1st prize number |
1,000 Euros |
Last 2 digits of the 2nd prize number |
1,000 Euros |
Last 2 digits of the 3rd prize number |
1,000 Euros |
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Last digit of the 1st prize number |
200 Euros |
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*Draw structure and prize amounts may vary from year to year. Prizes
shown are based on a full ticket of 10 decimas.
OVERALL ODDS OF WINNING A PRIZE
1:6.37
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