The most lazy Gordo in history lovingly hugged the Canary Islands and distributed 20.8 million euros between Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and El Hierro. At 12:17 p.m., when the country was beginning to think that the ball for the first prize of the Extraordinary Christmas Lottery Draw had not entered the drum, 88,088 appeared. Cheered on by the audience at the Teatro Real, who in the last minutes of the draw began to wave, the children of San Ildefonso shouted at the top of their lungs that that number was awarded with four million euros in the series – 400,000 to the tenth. Joy broke out in the Islands and, especially, in El Hierro, because for the first time in the history of the draw he received a visit from Gordo, who arrived with 800,000 euros in his hands.
Fortune wanted that today 37.8 million euros came to the Islands. An amount that is far from the 160 million that rained on the Archipelago two years ago, when El Gordo fully blessed Gran Canaria. In addition to the first prize, the fifth runners-up were very generous, distributing more than 7.2 million. The province of Las Palmas was the luckiest, as it received a total of 23.5 million euros, between the main prizes and the pedrea, which wasted three million in pinches of one hundred euros. The drums left 8.8 million of the big prizes in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, plus the stones that scattered some 6.5 million in the western islands.
The slower El Gordo spread throughout Spain, but was especially generous with Madrid, Jaén and Écija, where almost half of the series of the number were consigned.. In the Canary Islands, 51 tenths of 88,008 were sold, one of those combinations that are considered ‘ugly’, but which spread fortunes across 19 island municipalities. Specifically, in Arguineguín, Arucas, Gáldar, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Santa Lucía de Tirajana, Teror, Tunte and Valleseco (Gran Canaria); Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Granadilla, Los Realejos, Güímar and La Laguna (Tenerife); Antigua, Pájara and Puerto del Carmen (Fuerteventura); Taíche and Yaiza (Lanzarote); and Valverde (El Hierro). Luck continues to elude La Gomera and La Graciosa, where the main prize of the draw that kicks off Christmas has never fallen.
Lottery administration number 7 of the capital of Gran Canaria has become a repeat offender in the distribution of El Gordo, as for the second consecutive year it has awarded winning tenths. Another point of sale that once again distributed the first prize was the La Chasnera Service Station, located in the Tenerife municipality of Granadilla de Abona, and known as the lucky gas station. In addition to the first prize, he also sold the second and a fifth, which went to the pump’s own employees. There are also those who debuted this year in the generous art of selling tickets awarded with the Gordo. That is the case of the El Girasol administration, in Arguineguín, where they dispensed a machine ticket that was a winner.
Miiiiil euros!
The drums began to roll at 8:08 a.m. and the sound of the children from the San Ildefonso Boarding Residence singing the numbers began to invade most of the Canarian homes. It was not until thirty minutes later when the first fifth prize came out, number 54,274, which passed by and left nothing in the Archipelago. At 8:53 a.m., 45,353 appeared, and then the first important prize timidly arrived to the Islands, specifically to La Guancha. Ten minutes after nine in the morning, 88,979 was awarded with another fifth prize that sent a shower of millions to 23 lottery administrations in the Islands.
The prizes came out of the drum almost in strict order, from lowest to highest. The next fifth to appear was 92,023, which was sold in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. At 9:40, the fifth lowest prize, 01.568, appeared on the stage of the Teatro Real to bring a little fortune in the form of euros to Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and Tenerife. Around ten in the morning, joy was unleashed again with the 86,007which was widely distributed, as it was sold in four administrations in Lanzarote, one in Fuerteventura, eleven in Gran Canaria and fourteen in Tenerife.
Very generous fifths
The first fourth prize was not sung until 10:14 a.m., but 93,361 did not even look askance at the Islands. At this time, the nerves were already noticeable in the stalls of the Teatro Real, where those present were beginning to get impatient due to Gordo’s lateness. Additionally, the numbers hype suffered several setbacks and officials had to intervene, screwdriver in hand, to ensure that the draw could continue as normal. The next lucky ball to appear was 57.421, which also remembered the Archipelago.
When the clock hands passed eleven in the morning, three prizes were chained in less than ten minutes. Finally, the third prize came out and it went to 31,938, but not a tenth of this number ended up in the Islands; like the last fifth prize to come out, 37,038; and the second fourth prize, 41,147.
Already in the last of the ten tables that are completed during the draw, at 12:12 p.m., 58,303 came out of the big drum, which was awarded the second prize. Three tickets of this number, awarded with 125,000 euros, were deposited in the Archipelago: one in Vecindario (Gran Canaria) and two at the lucky gas station in Tenerife.
Precisely the administration of this service station was the one that distributed the largest amount in the Archipelago, with 2.8 million in prizes. It is followed by another gas station, Hoya del Parrado, in the Las Palmas neighborhood of Gran Canaria, which dispensed six tenths of Gordo at the last minute, with a value of 2.4 million. Also in Gran Canaria, the Caminito de Teror administration, in Villa Mariana, sold a first-prize tenth, to which was added one million euros among all the fifths it distributed. Thus, it totaled 1.4 million euros.
Fortune has not been the same with all the Canarian municipalities throughout the history of the draw. The island towns most blessed with El Gordo have been Granadilla and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, where it has fallen up to five times. Telde, who has won it four times; Arrecife, San Bartolomé de Tirajana and Puerto de la Cruz, with three; Antigua, Arucas, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, La Laguna and Los Realejos, with two.
The ‘bonus’ for the Treasury
Once the champagne has been uncorked after the euphoria of having won something in the Christmas lottery, it is time to think about the ‘bonus’ that must be contributed to the public coffers. The Treasury estimates that it will be able to earn 168.3 million euros if the first three prizes in this draw are distributed. Those who have taken the jackpot – awarded with 4000,000 euros – will deposit 328,000 euros into their accounts, after the 20% bite given by the treasury. Of course, the first 40,000 are exempt from taxes. In the case of a second prize -125,000 euros per tenth-, it would be taxed on 85,000 euros, so that the winner will receive 108,000 euros, and those who have a ticket with a third prize -50,000 euros per tenth- will keep 48,000 euros. The rest of the lucky ones will be able to fully enjoy the amount they have won, since none of them reach 40,000 euros.
This tax is applied in the form of withholding and it is the State Lottery and Betting Society (Selae) itself that is in charge of deducting the amount at the time of payment, so there is no bureaucratic procedure to do. The winning tenths can be collected from this afternoon, when the verifications of the extracted numbers are completed and, for those who forget it stored in their wallet, along with the image of their trusted saint, it is worth remembering that they are valid for only three months, until March 22, 2024. To receive the prize it is essential to present the winning tenth and if the amount is less than 2,000 euros it can only be collected at Lotteries points of sale in cash or through Bizum; If the amount exceeds that amount, you must go to the authorized financial entities: BBVA and Caixabank.
This year the Canaries placed less hope in the draw than the previous year, with an average investment of 45.74 euros compared to the 51.49 they spent in 2022. This data places the autonomous community at the bottom of those that have spent the least money on tickets, only ahead of the Balearic Islands (41.66 euros). On the opposite side of the scale is Castilla y León, with an average of 113.53 euros, which is well above the 71.67 euros that Spaniards have spent on average.
The scratchers can always wait for the goddess Fortune look towards them next January 6, when the drums will spin around the El Niño Lottery. A new day to dream of savoring the joy that comes with having a winning ticket.
