World Courant
The world’s richest lottery, often called ‘El Gordo’, can pay out nearly $3 billion in prizes.
Folks throughout Spain watched the televised Christmas lottery draw often called ‘El Gordo’ (‘The Fats One’) as pupils from Madrid’s San Ildefonso faculty started singing the prize-winning songs.
A complete of two.6 billion euros in prizes will probably be distributed this yr, most of them in small quantities, as Friday’s bulletins sung, as is custom.
Most individuals purchase fractions of full tickets, with the most typical buy being a share of 20 euros ($22), which yields a high prize of 400,000 euros ($440,000).
This two-century-old custom kicks off the festive season and is broadcast from Madrid’s Teatro Actual opera home, with tens of 1000’s of individuals tuning into radio stations and watching on-line.
Shopping for and sharing tickets within the run-up to Christmas is a much-loved custom amongst households and mates, celebrated in bars, sports activities golf equipment and on the streets.
Kids on the faculty within the Spanish capital select the numbers from 100,000 small wood balls drawn from two massive golden rolling drums, bearing the ticket numbers and the corresponding prizes. They each sing figures, that cadence that’s identified all through the nation.
The occasion lasts roughly three and a half hours as ticket holders wait in anticipation of the jackpot often called “El Gordo” being declared.
Folks in costumes wait earlier than the beginning of the draw of the standard Spanish Christmas lottery ‘El Gordo’, at Teatro Actual, Madrid, Spain, on December 22, 2023 (Susana Vera/Reuters)
Whereas different lotteries could have bigger particular person high prizes, El Gordo, held on December 22 yearly, is ranked because the richest on the planet by way of complete prize cash.
Spain established its nationwide lottery as a charity in 1763, in the course of the reign of King Carlos III. Later its objective grew to become to strengthen the state treasury.
The December 22 lottery began in 1812 and youngsters have been singing the prizes for the reason that starting.
‘The Fats One’ sings: Spanish Christmas lottery awards hundreds of thousands in prizes | Information
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