It is not the raffle that distributes the most money but it is the one that draws the most enthusiasm each year. Perhaps it is because of the dates or a matter of tradition, but the truth is that the Extraordinary Christmas Lottery Draw awakens a stream of hope and dreams. Year after year the Spaniards They leave a dough in tenths for the one known as Gordoalthough inflation is also noticeable in this.
The allocation of tenths this year foresees that Spaniards will spend less on purchases for the raffle on December 22 than what was reversed last year, a situation that is also reproduced in Canary Islands.
According to data from State Lotteries and Betting, in 2022 each Canary Islander spent an average of 51.49 euros on tenths, a figure that this year is reduced by about six euros. Thus, the Islands’ lottery administrations have almost half a million tickets available. Or what is the same: It is expected that each islander will allocate a little more than 45 euros to the purchase of tenths. About two per head.
By provinces, There are still more players among the inhabitants of Santa Cruz de Tenerife than those of the eastern islands, although in both cases investment will decrease. Thus, in the western islands an expenditure of 53.78 euros per inhabitant is expected, about eight euros less than the 61 euros of the last Draw. Meanwhile, in the case of The Palms The expense is much lower: just 38.28 euros per islander and only four less than in 2022.
In any case, these are figures that are below the national average: Spaniards will spend almost 72 euros per head in buying tenths for Fattwo euros less than what was invested last year.
All this to qualify for the numerous prizes that will be distributed in the Draw on December 22: up to 2,590 million euroswhich is 70 million more than last year.
This was stated this Wednesday by the president of LAE, Jesús Huerta Almendro, during the presentation at a press conference of the traditional advertising campaign for the Extraordinary Christmas Draw, held at the Royal Mint in Madrid. The sale of tickets for the draw began on July 12 throughout Spain, putting 185 million tenths into circulation, five million more than the previous year.
Thus, the issue amounts to 185 series of 100,000 issues each and 3.7 billion euros, 100 million more, of which 70 percent will be distributed in prizes. Thus, The most special draw of the year distributes a total of 2,590 million of euros in prizes, 70 million more than last year.
In any case, as Jesús Huerta recalled in the presentation, the amount of the prizes is maintained: the Christmas ‘Gordo’ or first prize, is 4,000,000 euros for the series (400,000 euros per tenth); the second prize, 1,250,000 euros for the series (125,000 euros for the tenth); or the third, 500,000 euros for the series (50,000 euros for the tenth). The amount of the tenth continues to be 20 euros.
Asked about the sales evolution for the draw, the president of Lotteries has explained that it is “difficult to predict” a closing forecast when there is still more than a month left for the draw and the main amount is produced at the end of the campaign. However, he has assured that they are “hopeful” because in all LAE lotteries sales are going “well.”
In his speech, the president of Lotteries explained that this year The tenths are illustrated with the painting ‘The Nativity’ by the Master of Sopetrán, located in the Prado Museum. Furthermore, he added that it includes the logo of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. “We are thus joining an event that unites us and highlights the relevance of our country in the European Union,” she stressed.
“The premiere of the advertisement is starting signal for Christmasunofficial, although unofficial, therefore, begins from now on an era marked by feelings, by traditions,” Huerta declared, later adding that the draw has maintained its motto for five years: “The draw that unites us”.
History of ‘Gordos’ in the Canary Islands
On eleven occasions, the Canary Islands have celebrated the luck of Gordo. The first prize of Extraordinary Christmas Lottery Draw It has smiled more times at Madrid (84) and Barcelona (43) than at the rest of the national territory, so the Archipelago does not fare too badly in the fortunes of December 22.
What’s more, there are up to six provincial capitals that have not yet had the fortune of winning the Gordo (Tarragona, Jaén, Girona, Melilla and Ávila) while in the Canary Islands, both Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas have three first prizes each .
In fact, the capital of Gran Canaria It was the second municipality of the Archipelago to obtain the Gordo, a milestone that occurred in 1982 thanks to the fact that 40 years ago the children of San Ildefonso gave the prize to 21515. Four years before The Christmas Raffle smiled on the Islands for the first time: Telde He then celebrated 15,640.
The Canary Islands had to wait almost 20 years for Gordo to travel to the Archipelago again. That 2001 luck opted for The Palmwhose capital received the first prize in the Christmas Raffle with 18795. Tenerife had to wait until 2010 to have the same fortune. That year 79250 chose the northern municipality of Garachico to receive the expected rain of millions.
In 2014 the lucky one was San Bartolome de Tirajana, thanks to 13437, a municipality of Gran Canaria that would repeat the El Gordo celebration three years later. That 2017, with number 71198, Granadilla was released, a Tenerife town that has been accumulating awards since then through the already known as “lucky gas station.”
Just one year later, in 2018, The Canary Islands received the one that the Gordo received the most so far in its geography. A total of 24 municipalities of the Archipelago celebrated 03347, which only the islands of La Palma did not reach, La Gomera and The iron.
The short and intermittent relationship between the Autonomous Community and the Christmas Giveaway It closes with recent chapters. In 2020, Would do (in Lanzarote) and again Granadilla distributed part of the first prize awarded to 72897 and in 2021 it was again The Gran Canarian palms the one that captured the rain of millions in the Canary Islands, with number 86148.
And last year the cycle closed with four islands graced with the number 05490. The prize was distributed in Tenerife, at the Granadilla de Abona gas station, La Laguna, La Guancha and in the Callao Salvaje area in Adeje; in Gran Canaria, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and in Tama oil in the Alisios Shopping Center; in Fuerteventurain Ancient and Bird; and in Lanzarote, in Reef.
Returned for ugly
The history of prizes in the State Lottery and Betting Christmas Draw includes one more Gordo for Tenerife in 2007, but the Island actually ran out of rain for millions. And that year, an administration of the municipality of Puerto de la Cruz had consigned an undetermined number of tickets of the number that ended up being the first prize: 06381.
The problem was the initial zero. It is a digit that is traditionally not liked by regular buyers of tenths and which in fact is not usually attractive either, so The tenths watched the days go by from the window without anyone loving them.
At the end of December 21, 2007, as ordered by State Lotteries and Betting, This administration’s appropriation was returned. Not a single one was sold. And many of the customers who passed by port Surely they regretted it when on the morning of December 22 the children of San Ildefonso sang it like El Gordo.
The then LAE delegate in the Islands, Luis de Montis, confirmed that had been rejected “for being ugly”a custom that is still frequent and for which there is already an answer: All, absolutely all the numbers, go into the bass drum.
