- Title: El Gordo 26590 lucky number drawn at Spanish Christmas lottery
- Date: 22nd December 2019
- Summary: MADRID, SPAIN (DECEMBER 22, 2019) (REUTERS) CHILDREN OF SAN ILDEFONSO CALLING 26590 NUMBER AND CHANTING IN SPANISH "4 MILLION EUROS" INDICATING THE PRIZE MONEY AND WALKING TOWARDS LOTTERY OFFICIALS / SHOWING BALLS WITH THE NUMBER "26590" AND THE PRIZE TO LOTTERY OFFICIAL GIRLS SHOWING BALLS WITH THE NUMBER "26590" AND THE PRIZE TO LOTTERY OFFICIAL GIRLS WALKING TOWARDS AUDIENCE / SHOWING BALLS AND CHANTING WINNING NUMBER AND PRIZE MONEY VARIOUS OF GIRLS SHOWING BALLS TO AUDIENCE AUDIENCE LOOKING AT GIRLS HOLDING BALLS WITH THE WINNING NUMBER AND THE PRIZE GIRL HOLDING BALL WITH THE PRIZE GIRLS SHOWING BALLS WITH THE WINNING NUMBER AND THE PRIZE
- Embargoed: 5th January 2020 08:47
- Keywords: Christmas lottery El Gordo Spain
- Location: MADRID, SPAIN
- City: MADRID, SPAIN
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Human Interest / Brights / Odd News,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA001BB24EH3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: El Gordo's (The Fat One), the top prize in Spain's traditional Christmas lottery, lucky number 26590 was called minutes after the draw begun at 8.00 gmt on Sunday (December 22).
Children of the San Ildefonso school brought Madrid's Royal Theatre to a standstill after singing the number awarded with four million euros to the series, 400.000 euros minus taxes to the ticket.
This year fractions of the winning number were spread across various locations of the country including Madrid, Barcelona, Tarragona, Salamanca, Sevilla, Alicante and Murcia.
Across Spain, people come together to buy tickets for El Gordo.
The complex rules of the draw - which allow for multiple purchases of the same lottery number - make it almost impossible to decipher how many people have won. In the months leading up to the draw, local bars, companies and associations share their numbers, hoping to celebrate the world's biggest windfall with their patrons.
On Sunday, as the per tradition, the winners will return to where they bought their lucky tickets, uncorking bottles of Cava and revelling in how they will spend their spoils.
El Gordo is run by the Spanish lottery, and after the winners are paid, the proceeds fund the state budget. Last year Spaniards spent 2.82 billion euros, an average of 60.30 euros per person, on tickets.
The most common ticket costs 20 euros, offering up to 400,000 euros in prize money, minus taxes. The jackpot is purposely designed to allow as many people as possible a small win or to at least break even with a free ticket.
(Production: Guillermo Martinez, Silvio Castellanos, Julien Hennequin) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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