‘El Gordo’ lottery in Spain spreads Christmas riches worth $2.8 billion

Associated Press

MADRID (AP) — Spaniards have been anticipating the arrival of “El Gordo” or “The Fat One” for weeks. That’s the name of the first prize in Spain’s hugely popular national Christmas lottery. This year’s total draw is worth 2.7 billion euros. Much of that will be paid out in small winnings. The top prize worth 400,000 euros before taxes was distributed among ticket holders with the number 72480. The winning tickets were sold in Logroño in northern Spain’s La Rioja region, famous for its wines. Spain’s Christmas lottery began during the Napoleonic wars in 1812 and has continued largely without interruption ever since, even during the Spanish Civil War.