“ElGordo de Navidad” is very popular lottery from Spain. This lottery is also known as the “Lotería de Navidad” or Spanish christmas lottery. Because “ElGordo de Navidad” occurs every year during the Christmas season. It is estimated, that nearly 98% adult population of Spain do participate in this massive lottery. Even if they normally do not play in any other lottery during a year. It has become a Christmas tradition in Spain to buy at least one small portion of the whole coupon.
“El Gordo de Navidad” is also one of the oldest lottery in the world, which began its operations over 200 years ago! Spanish christmas lottery began its operations in 1812. Since then “elGordo de Navidad” is taking place every single year in December. (even during Spanish civil war)
There are many variations of elGordo lottery, which are played nowadays in Spain. And “El Gordo de Navidad” is peculiar variation of elGordo Spanish lottery. To find out more: What are the different variations of ElGordo Spanish lottery? click here:
Spanish christmas lottery generates the biggest prize pools among all lotteries from around the world! For example prize pool for 2016 is estimated to be almost 2.5 billion Euros! “ElGordo de Navidad” has become very popular around the world, among many lottery players, because of that.
To play in Spanish Christmas lottery
ElGordo de Navidad, click here:
Additionally, many foreign lottery players are attracted to participate in “El Gordo de Navidad”, because of excelent chances of winning in that Spanish lottery, when comparing with many famous lotteries from around the world. For example: it is over 1000 times easier to win main prize in “ElGordo de navidad” than main prize in european lottery EuroMillions. And the chances of winning any prize are 1:7.
Also, there are significant differences between, how to play in Spanish ElGordo de Navidad, comparing with how to play in traditional lottery game such as: european EuroMillions, MegaMillions or Powerball from america. Spanish christmas lottery uses completely different concept how to play lottery.
Therefore, many foreigners and lottery players from abroad (outside of Spain) are completely confused, how to play in Spanish El Gordo de Navidad? What is different when participating in Spanish christmas lottery? We hope that this short article will help to understand: How to play in “ElGordo de Navidad”? How to participate in Spanish christmas lottery via internet?
How to play in “ElGordo de Navidad”, Spanish christmas lottery?
What are rules in order to play in “El Gordo de Navidad”?
ElGordo de Navidad, Spanish christmas lottery is played in completely different way, than typical lottery game. Where lottery players select 5 or 6 numbers from a pool of numbers.
Let’s start with explanation:
How the “El Gordo de Navidad” lottery coupon differs from traditional one?
The whole lottery coupon is called: “Billete“
“Billete“ is divided into 10 parts called “Decimos“ or “Fraccion“. They can be bought separately as a part of the whole coupon.
Each year there are 100000 coupons, 5-digits numbers are printed on them ranging from 00000 up to 99999 in each set. Each set of coupons is printed multiple times in many different series. (called: “Series”)
The image below would help to understand:
How coupons are constructed for “ElGordo de Navidad”, Spanish christmas lottery?
There is limited number of ElGordo lottery coupons on offer. When all of the coupons are sold out, there are no more coupons available for sale. The number of printed sets varies each year. Because of that, the total number of “ElGordo de Navidad” coupons on offer is different each year.
For example in 2016 there are 100.000 coupons printed in 165 sets.
100.000 Billetes * 165 sets => 16,5 million of “Billetes“.
Since each “Billete” is divided for 10 parts (Fraccion), it means that 165 million of coupons are available for sale in 2016.
but in 2015 more sets were printed, namely 180 sets “Series“
in 2013 there were 100,000 “Billetes” printed in 160 sets,
in 2012 there were 100,000 “Billetes” printed in 180 sets,
in 2006 there were 85,000 “Billetes” printed in 180 sets,
in 2005, there were 85,000 “Billetes” printed in 170 sets,
in 2004 there were 66,000 “Billetes” printed in 195 sets.
How to buy coupons for “El Gordo de Navidad” in order to participate in the Spanish christmas lottery?
The easiest way is to simply buy the whole block of “El Gordo de Navidad” tickets, one “Billete“.
To play in Spanish Christmas lottery
ElGordo de Navidad, click here:
However, very common practise among lottery players is to buy many “Decimos” from different blocks of coupons. This allows to increase chances of winning a prize, however at the expense of the winning size. Because, the more parts from different lottery tickets, the more different numbers. If lucky winner does hold only one winning “Decimo“, instead of the whole block, obviously the prize is divided by 10, and he would receive only 10% of the winning prize.
Another common way to participate in the Spanish christmas lottery – ElGordo is to create a group of players or syndicates, where all participants agree to share the winnings between the total number of people taking part in that kind of scheme.
Some services online allow to buy coupons in order to participate in the Spanish christmas lottery via the internet.
The lottery draw. El Gordo de Navidad.
How are the winning numbers selected, during the lottery draw?
Spanish christmas lottery draw usually lasts about 3 hours.
There are 100,000 of small wooden balls in first drum. On each of those balls 5-digit number was printed, using special laser instead of paint. This is in order to avoid any inconsistencies in the balls’ weight.
The smaller drum contains 1,807 balls, each represents one available prize.
One ball is selected from each drum at the same time. Those two balls are matched with each other, where one ball shows prize size and the second the winning number.
The results are being sung aloud by children from school “San Ildefonso”. One child is singing aloud the five-digit number, the other sings the prize.
What are the chances of winning in Spanish christmas lottery “ElGordo de Navidad”?
The chances of winning the main prize in “ElGordo de Navidad” are 1 in 100.000. And the chances of winning any prize are 1:7.
It means, that famous Spanish lotto has one of the best chances to win, among all major lotteries from around the world. Both, when it comes to winning the main prize as well as other smaller prizes.
Even other prizes in Spanish christmas lottery is quite easy to win, for example:
chances of winning 2nd prize are 1 in 100.000
chances of winning 3rd prize are 1 in 100.000
chances of winning 4th prize are 1 in 50.000
chances of winning 5th prize are 1 in 12.500, those chances of winning are almost the same as chances of winning 6th or 7th prize in Euromillions, however the difference in payout is significant. around 1000 times more. Payment for winning of the fifth prize in “elGordo de Navidad” is 60.000 euros, comparing with the payment for winning sixth or seventh prize in Euromillions is merely around 60 euros.
(All above information applies only to the whole ticket, however in case of one part of the ticket, or more parts of the whole coupon, all above numbers have to be corrected, depending how many parts there are of the winning coupons.)
How to participate in “ElGordo de Navidad”, Spanish christmas lottery via internet?
For everyone, who would like to participate in this famous Spanish lottery, we would like to recommend two on-line services, namely: You can play with TheLotter.