This marks the inaugural occasion that the ‘Yoya bookstore’, as it is affectionately referred to by the residents of the Punta Brava neighbourhood in Puerto de la Cruz, has bestowed a Christmas prize. It commenced yesterday with the number 74,778, a fifth prize, amounting to 60,000 euros for the series and 6,000 euros for each tenth.
“Christmas was the significant prize we needed to present, and now we are aiming for El Niño,” remarked Rosa Natalia Yanes Guzmán, manager of Hernández Stationery and Bookstore, the formal name of the establishment, which has existed for over 20 years. She is “almost certain” that the victor was a customer from the mainland who, while on holiday, entered to purchase lottery tickets and requested 13 tenths “of the number he desired,” aligning perfectly with the amount sold, totalling 78,000 euros.
She discovered the exhilarating news through a neighbour who informed her cousin, but it wasn’t long before she was contacted by the State Lottery and Betting division. Although she was at a family gathering, Rosa wasted no time in heading to the shop to collect the official notice displaying the winning number.
She cannot deny that this has provided a boost of luck and hope for the neighbourhood, which has been affected for over five months due to the closure of Playa Jardín, following the contamination of its waters by sewage discharges. This decision has had detrimental effects on local businesses, she acknowledged to DIARIO DE AVISOS.
“2024 has been quite challenging for Punta Brava, and the beach closure has been particularly noticeable, as no mainland customers have been popping in to buy lottery tickets, which is significant,” Rosa emphasised.
A native of the neighbouring municipality of La Orotava, she began her career in 2009 at the bookstore managed by her sister, located at number 33 Bencomo Street. Two years later, she started selling lottery tickets as a mixed receiver, specifically for 67,460. “Sales are improving continuously, and people are becoming more accustomed to the new note format because we do not use the conventional one but rather the paper-based alternative. However, we strive daily to familiarise them with it,” she stated.
Since then, the bookstore has awarded several prizes from the National Lottery, including 31,711, the second prize of a special draw, and 8,031, alongside others from Bonoloto and La Primitiva. Yesterday, the ‘Yoya bookstore’ added the silver medal to its list of accolades with one of the fifth prizes from El Gordo, but it aspires to achieve gold with El Niño.
