Winners across Spain celebrate results of ‘el Gordo’ Christmas lottery

The winning number in this year’s Christmas lottery in Spain – popularly known as El Gordo (The Fat One) – is 71198 The lucky five-digit figure corresponding to the top €4 million prize was sung out by two children from San Ildefonso school in Madrid as per tradition at 11:56 pm.

The winning number was sold across the country including in Madrid’s famous Doña Manolita lottery shop. The equally famous Bruixa D'Or lottery organization also sold the number. For the first time in its history, the gordo was sold in the city of Jaca in Huesca. A gas station in the south of Tenerife also confirmed it sold the winning number.

The second prize number this year was 51244 (€1,250,000) while the third prize number was 06914 (€500,000).

The possible total prize money in this year’s draw was €2.38 billion spread across 15,304 prizes including 1,794 prizes of €1,000 each (the so-called pedrea) – a consolation prizes for those lamenting on missing out on the Gordo.

Euphoria in Doña Manolta. El gordo has been won by the legendary Madrid-based lottery shop

In Spain’s Christmas lottery, every number is divided into 10 identical segments, or décimos, costing €20 each. Because numbers are also divided into series, there are in fact 1,600 tickets with the same number sold at lottery sales points across the country, making it impossible for one person to buy them all.

Many people buy even smaller stakes in several décimos to increase their chances of winning something. A €1 stake in the winning number is worth €20,000, while a €20 décimo pays out €400,000 before taxes.

All prizes of over €2,500 are subject to a 20% tax which means holders of a décimo will take home €320,050 with the rest going to the tax office.

Valeria Álvarez, who runs the Diagonal Mar lottery agency in Barcelona which sold 410 third prize décimos each worth €50,000 admits she dreamed she would win

English version by George Mills.