The Spanish Christmas Lottery, also known as 'El Gordo' or 'The Fat One', is the world's biggest lottery. Find out how it works here. The Spanish Christmas Lottery, known as 'El Gordo', or 'The Fat One', is the biggest lottery in the world. Find out how it is drawn.
This unique decimos system means there are a number ways you can play El Gordo. Read more: Ways to Play El Gordo.
Example of a Spanish Lottery Ticket May be Won
- You buy two decimos.
- Person A buys three decimos.
- Person B buys five decimos.
- You win 200€.
- Person A win 300€.
- Person B win 500€.
Got that? Good.
It is common for a group of people to buy a whole ticket (ten decimos) together. This group could be a family, some work colleagues or even the regulars at a local bar. In this way El Gordo becomes a social event as people 'play together' under the same ticket. In some bars you may see in the window "Jugamos con el numero..." ("We're playing with number...") to indicate that they are playing El Gordo this year and as an invitation to join in the fun.
As the wealth is often spread out among a group of people rather than a single person, a win in a small community can have a profound effect on the local economy.
The word the Spanish use for winning the lottery is 'touch' ('tocar') so they may say "Esperamos que toce aquí" ("We hope it touches here").
