El Gordo Spanish Christmas Lottery 2024 - Guide in English

El Gordo Lottery Spain - La Loteria de Navidad

El Gordo Spanish Christmas Lottery 2024

Guide to 'Fat one' El Gordo Lottery Spain - Lotería de Navidad

Tickets on sale now. Draw on 22 December 2024. Top prize winning numbers will be posted here.

Watch the Spanish Christmas lottery draw online



FIRST PRIZE TICKET NUMBER
wins €4.000.000 for billete ticket sheet
(= €400.000 for a décimo / €20,000 for each euro paid)

SECOND PRIZE TICKET NUMBER
wins €1.250.000 for billete ticket sheet
(= €125.000 for a décimo ticket / €6,250 for each euro paid) 

THIRD PRIZE TICKET NUMBER
wins €500.000 € for billete ticket sheet
(= €50.000 for a décimo ticket  / €2,500 for each euro paid) 

2x FOURTH PRIZE TICKET NUMBER 
wins €200.000 for billete ticket sheet
(= €20.000 for a décimo ticket  / €1,000 for each euro paid) 

8 x FIFTH PRIZE TICKET NUMBER
wins €60.000 for billete ticket sheet
(= €6.000 for a décimo ticket / €300 for each euro paid) 

There are many more prizes of €1000 down to €20, so check your ticket numbers carefully.

About El Gordo lottery

The nickname of Spainøs oldest and biggest lottery is 'El Gordo' which translate as 'the fat one' because of the total size of the prize money. The Spanish Christmas lottery is also the biggest lottery in the world in terms of total prize money. 70% of ticket sales are prizes which amounts to about 2.5 billion euros in 2022.

This webpage is a guide to the El Gordo Spanish Christmas Lottery. On this page we explain how El Gordo works and how to buy el Gordo lottery tickets in Spain and how to check El Gordo winning numbers. The El Gordo lottery date is always 22nd December in the morning.

The El Gordo lottery draw starts live at 9 a.m. - 09:00 (CET time) in Spain and is always broadcast live on TV and online. El Gordo has become an Spanish national event shown live on TV every year on the drawing date which is always 22nd December.

This year's date is 22.12.2024 - 22nd December 2024. In 2024 El Gordo celebrates its 213th edition. It has been organised every year since 1812. The lottery was created to raise money for Spanish troops fighting Napoleon’s invasion of Spain and has taken place ever since.

This huge Spanish lottery is drawn on 22nd December every year and is broadcast live on Spanish TV channel 'La 1' and on the Internet on the RTVE.es website from 8 a.m. The lottery draw starts at 9 a.m. The lottery drawing ceremony is at Teatro Real de Madrid in Madrid, Spain.

Useful pages

Buy El Gordo tickets
Check El Gordo winner numbers (22/12)
Watch El Gordo lottery live RTVE (22/12)
Watch Loteria de Navidad live YouTube

How to buy tickets


How to buy El Gordo Christmas lottery tickets and how El Gordo lottery works.

The world's biggest lottery is in Spain and is nicknamed 'El Gordo', which means 'the fat one.' The official name is El Sorteo Extraordinario de Navidad but often called 'Lotería de Navidad' - the Spanish Christmas lottery. This nickname is used both about the entire Christmas lottery - and the winning first prize number called el 'Gordo' de Navidad.

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El Gordo prize money 


In 2023 the total prize amount will be €2.520 milions (2.5 billion euro) from tickets sales of 3.3 billion euro from 170 million tickets.

The 2.5 billion euro prize money can be won by around 15,304 winning ticket numbers in different amounts. 

The total prize amount makes El Gordo the biggest lottery draw in the world. 


Anuncio de Lotería de Navidad 2024

Not published yet. 


How El Gordo Spanish lottery works


El Gordo is the biggest lottery in the world. The name El Gordo means 'The Fat One'. The nickname came from the huge amount of prize money.

It is the biggest lottery in the world in terms of overall prize money payouts, hence the name 'El Gordo' lottery, which translates as the Fat One.

El Gordo is actually the nickname of the first prize winning ticket number, rather than the whole lottery.

2011 was the first of the 'fattest' El Gordo in history called 'El Gorda más gorda de la historia.'

The biggest winning number in 2011 paid 4 million euros and that amount has been the same ever since.

2023 ticket prize amounts


In 2023 the biggest winning number wins 4 million euros in total. This means that a winning 'decimo' ticket holder gets €20,000 for each 1 euro played, which gives a prize of 400,000 euro for a decimo ticket, that cost 20 euro to buy.

The second prize number wins 1.250.000 euro. (€6,250 for each euro played)

Third prize number wins 500,000 (€2,500 for each euro played)

Two different fourth prize numbers pay 200,000 (€1,000 for each euro played)

Eight different fifth prize numbers win 60,000 (€€300 for each euro played)

Read how the ticket system works in detail further down this page.

How can I buy el Gordo lottery tickets?


In Spain you can buy El Gordo tickets at lottery offices which are at hypermarkets, on high streets and at many tobacconist shops called 'Estancos'.

Some of the places that sell El Gordo tickets are considered 'lucky' because of selling winning tickets in previous lotteries and people stand in line for hours to buy a ticket there.

El Gordo tickets start selling months in advance. Many businesses like bars offer parts of tickets which are called 'participaciones'. 

You can also buy El Gordo tickets online if you are in Spain and also if you want to buy online outside Spain, there are various websites that offer El Gordo tickets, but be sure to check the sellers carefully to avoid fraud. 

Official Spanish Lottery page
Twitter/X Spanish Lottery
 
The biggest winning ticket of the 'el Gordo' Spanish Christmas pays out 4 million euros in total. What makes the Spanish Christmas lottery the biggest in the world, is that there are thousands of winning prize numbers of smaller amounts, which makes it the biggest lottery payout in the world.

An estimated 75% of the Spanish population buys a lottery ticket or buys a share of a ticket. Some even say the figure is closer to 90%. It is also estimated that each Spaniard spends around €70 on average on El Gordo lottery tickets! 

The total annual prize payout of El Gordo of around 2,5 billion euros makes El Gordo a self-perpetuating success. The bigger the winnings, the more tickets people buy, which generates bigger prize amounts and then more people buy more tickets, and so it goes.

That is how the legendary Spanish lottery of El Gordo grew to become the biggest lottery in the world. No-one in Spain can resist the lure of El Gordo at Christmas - and especially in these times of financial difficulty for so many Spaniards.

Some more facts.

The lottery draw is managed by the Spanish government. 30% of the lottery sales goes to the government in taxes and 70% is paid out in prizes. El Gordo was tax-free until 2013. Since  2013 there has been a 20% tax on all winnings over the amount of €2500.

Winnings under €2500 are tax-free. Another reason why El Gordo is so popular is that the prize money is spread over 15,304 different winning numbers, which means there are many smaller cash prizes.

Some people think that El Gordo tickets have a 15% or 30% chance of winning, but the actual probability of winning El Gordo is much lower at around 5%.


El Gordo numbers and prizes


The numbering system of El Gordo

It is quite complex. You don't pick your own numbers. For El Gordo you buy a pre-printed ticket with your number. There are 100,000 different numbers in the Spanish Christmas lottery. These 100,000 numbers range from 00000 to 99999 and are on the lottery balls which tumble around inside a giant rotating drum on the day of the El Gordo lottery draw. 

Each lottery ticket number has a picture of a Christmas nativity scene and the pictures change every year.

On 22nd December every year the winning numbers are drawn. This happens live on Spanish national TV in a tradition that dates many years - although obviously not as far as the first El Gordo lottery that dates back over two hundred years to 4th March 1812. 

How the numbers are picked.

Every 22nd December from 9am in the morning forty children aged 8 to 14 years old from the school 'Colegio de San Ildefonso' in Segovia, which was formerly an orphanage.

The children are called 'los niños de San Ildefonso' and in pairs they pick out small wooden numbered balls out of the two big golden drums that contain all 100.000 numbers. This lottery ceremony is called 'el soniquete de los Niños de San Ildefonso.' One drum has the winning numbers and the other has the prize amounts. The children come forward in pairs and pick and sing out a lottery number from one drum, and then pick and sing out a prize amount for that number from the other drum.

The ceremony takes place at the 'Teatro Real de Madrid' and takes just over three hours. It's very sweet and Christmas in Spain just wouldn't be the same without it. Naturally because of the money involved it's very exciting viewing if you have a ticket watching the winning numbers as they are called out.

The big prizes that everyone is hoping for are 1 first number prize, 1 second number prize, one third number prize, 2 different fourth number prizes and 8 different fifth number prizes. There are also many smaller prizes. 

El Gordi tickets and numbers

El Gordo lottery ticket system

An El Gordo ticket (billete) has a pre-printed a 5-digit number. 

Each ticket number has multiple series' or sets of the same ticket number

The exact quantity of tickets and series, as well as their price and the exact distribution of prizes, change from year to year.


Examples of how total El Gordo tickets numbers vary. Here are some examples.

In 2022 there are 100,000 different tickets number in 180 series'
In 2016 there were 100,000 ticket numbers in 165 series'
In 2015 there were 100,000 tickets number in 180 series'
In 2013 there were 100,000 tickets number in 160 series'
In 2006 there were 85,000 ticket number in 180 series' 
In 2004 there were 66,000 ticket number in 195 series'

A series is like an A4 sheet with 10 smaller tickets on it. (see illustration above)
A full ticket sheet called billete costs €200.

Each billete ticket sheet is divided into ten smaller tickets called 'décimos' which cost €20 each. Most people buy a 'décimo', which like a full lottery ticket, but as explained above a 'décimo' is technically a tenth of a ticket.

So if your number wins El Gordo you will get  €4,000,000, but if you only have a décimo then you get a tenth, which is €400,000 for your decimo ticket.


How El Gordo prize work?

The first prize of El Gordo goes to a single winning number. Here's an example.

In 2006 the winning number was 20297 and the prize amount was 3 million euros. There were 180 series' of the number 20297, so the 3 million was paid out 180 times to a full sheet or ticket with that number.

So the total payout to the first prize number of 180 x 3 million = 540 million euros.

Anyone holding a tenth of a ticket, a 'décimo' of the number 20297 in 2006 won the corresponding amount of the 3 million prize for each ticket in the series.

So a 'décimo'which is a tenth of the number 20297 won €300,000 in 2006. 

In 2024 the first prize of El Gordo goes to a single winning number and the 1st prize amount is 4 million euros.

There were 180 series' of the 1st prize number, so the 4 million will be paid 180 times to a full sheet or ticket with the 1st prize number.

This means the total payout to the first prize El Gordo winning number is 180 x 4 million = 720 million euros.

People holding a billete with all 10 'décimo' tickets of the 1st prize number in 2022 will win the corresponding amount of the 4 million prize because they have one of the 170 series with the wining number.

This means a 'décimo' which is a tenth of the 1st prize number will win €400,000 in 2022.

1st prize El Gordo lottery number - 1 number gets €4,000,000 for 1 billete 
2nd prize El Gordo lottery number - 1 number gets €1,250,000 for 1 billete
3rd prize El Gordo lottery number - 1 number gets €500,000 for 1 billete
4th El Gordo lottery number - 2 numbers gets €200,000 each for 1 billete
5th El Gordo lottery amount - 8 numbers gets €60,000 each for 1 billete

After that comes many smaller prizes, called of amounts ranging from €20,000 down to the smallest prizes €1000 called 'la pedrea' which means the stones.

La Pedrea pays €1000 on a billete ticket, so you get your €100 for a décimo ticket. Many Pedrea winners reinvest the €100 amount to enter the next big lottery, the 'Lotería de el Niño' which is always on 6th January.

The smallest prizes are €200 for a billete, which pays back the €20 cost of a decimo lottery ticket.

Winning numbers El Gordo


There are many superstitions and traditions about how to pick the winning number. Many people buy their 'lucky' numbers and certain numbers sell out quickly like the dates of weddings of celebrites or numbers that reflect current events.

Numbers that have won before are also popular. Many people, companies, bars, and charities buy one or more 'décimos' and sell it off in parts to colleagues, friends, customers etc.

This is often done by splitting a 20 euro decimo into 20 parts of €1 each. These fractions of 'décimos' are called 'participaciones.' In Spain when someone wins the lottery it's a happy ending for all. The prize money is spread around the whole family.

You will always see TV footage of a whole village or town neighbourhood dancing, hugging, kissing and drinking Cava on 22nd December ! They have all won the Spanish Christmas Lottery, El Gordo!
 

How to buy El Gordo tickets


You can buy El Gordo tickets online in Spain at the official El Gordo website made by the 'Loterías y Apuestas del Estado', the Spanish Lottery organization. Most people in Spain buy at the many lottery ticket offices throughout Spain or they buy 'participaciones' at bars, offices or from family and friends. If you live outside Spain there are many online companies who sell tickets. Some of them are probably quite genuine and trustworthy, but we suggest you check their references carefully before you buy.

Website Spanish Christmas Lottery
Website Spanish Lottery
Twitter page Spanish Lottery


How do I get my money if I win?


For smaller winnings up to €1000 you collect your lottery winnings at the lottery ticket offices in Spain. For bigger amounts you can collect your winnings at certain Spanish banks including BBVA, Santander, Banco Popular, CaixaBanc. The banks do not charge a commission on lottery payouts or ask you to open an account. You can also contact the Spanish lottery organisation Loterías y Apuestas del Estado on their website or by phone +34 902112313 

Tax on El Gordo lottery winnings

There is a 20% tax on all El Gordo prizes over €2500. 2012 was the final year of completely taxfree El Gordo prizes. From 2013 onwards all prizes above €2500 are taxed at 20%, which means if you win El Gordo of €400.000 from a décimo ticket, then you will receive €320,000 after the tax has been paid.

El Gordo scams

In recent years there have been many examples of scams by people purporting to represent the El Gordo Lottery, mostly aimed at non-residents of Spain, who don't know how the lottery operates. The bottom line is that if you didn't buy a lottery ticket, then you have obviously not won, so don't fall for anything without checking with the official organisation in Spain.

Official El Gordo website

The official operator of the Spanish El Gordo lottery, Loterias y Apuestas de Estado has issued a warning about fraudsters using the name El Gordo and forging documentation and bank forms to obtain money under false pretences. Mailings and emails are sent to UK consumers claiming they have won the Spanish lottery. In order to claim their 'prize', recipients are asked to provide their bank account details and told that 5-10 per cent of the winnings will be retained for costs. However the 'winners' are later contacted and asked for various fees in order to release their alleged prize, and they never receive a penny. Genuine Spanish lottery prizes are always free from taxes. If you receive fraudulent El Gordo material you can help the investigations of Loterías y Apuestas de Estado by sending a copy to the following address:

Official Loterías y Apuestas del Estado Legal Advice Service

C/ Guzmán el Bueno nº 137
28003 Madrid Spain
Fax number: 00 34 91 533 51 36

Good luck - Bon Sort - Buena Suerte!

Lottery tip! Don't buy your ticket too late or all the lottery tickets can be sold out!

If you didn't win in El Gordo try the other big Christmas lottery in Spain on 6th January (Kings Day) called 'El Niño' lottery.

The Catalan government organised a Catalan version New Year version of El Gordo called la Grossa de Cap D'any which also has a big payout.

GROSSA DE CAP D'ANY lottery

Spanish_lottery


This web page answers questions like:

  • What is the biggest lottery in the world?
  • What does El Gordo mean?
  • How does the Spanish Christmas lottery work?

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Last Updated on Tuesday, 22 October 2024 16:30
 
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Thursday, 21 November 2024


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