Most countries have some form of lottery system running. And, in most cases, they’re happening all year round. Spain is no different from the likes of the UK and the US in that respect; however, they also have a Christmas lottery that everyone gets involved with, and for many, it’s more than just a lottery.
The Spanish Christmas Lottery is known as El Gordo in Spain. And, while it’s usually to expect quite a lot of people to get involved with a lottery draw, especially one classed as a National Lottery, it’s a slightly different situation with El Gordo, as it’s reported that around 90% of the population take part, and there are a number of reasons for this, with the first being the tradition surrounding the Spanish Christmas Lottery. Tradition is built and continued through generations of families, which is prevalent in El Gordo.
El Gordo is also a part of the Christmas routine too. People will make their to-do list for the festive period, and as well as organising food, gifts and all that good stuff, they’ll also include making sure they’re in with a chance of winning the Spanish Christmas Lottery too. And this goes a long way because from a young age, people will know all about El Gordo, and they’ll grow up knowing that at Christmastime, you’ve got to enter the Spanish Christmas Lottery. Again, it does come down to tradition, but also it being a natural part of the festive routine of so many families in Spain.
And who can blame people for seeing El Gordo as more than just a lottery? The total prize pool of the Spanish Christmas Lottery is a staggering £2.1 billion. And El Gordo, which translates as the fat one, and is more specifically the name for the top prize, is worth in the region of £4 million for the winner. So, winning a share of the massive prize pool or even being lucky enough to take home El Gordo means that it’s possibly life-changing money coming your way, and it could go as far as changing the lives of an entire family for generations.
Because, as the name suggests, the Spanish Christmas Lottery is only available to play in the festive period, it also increases the demand. A lot of people may not necessarily gamble or take part in lotteries at any other time of the year, but they’ll always chance their arm at winning El Gordo for the reasons mentioned above. It’s akin to those who don’t gamble in the UK, but they put bets on the Grand National horse race because of tradition.
And for those who have a penchant for playing the lottery at any time, the great news is that exclusive lottery sites are not the only ones that offer this gaming genre. In fact, several licensed online gaming operators like PartyCasino often carry versions of lottery-like games. So, anyone who wants to play the lottery all year round can do so easily and even via their smartphone.
