- Title: Spaniards prepare for "El Gordo" Christmas lottery
- Date: 22nd December 2017
- Summary: MADRID, SPAIN (DECEMBER 22, 2017) (REUTERS) === NIGHT SHOTS ==== PEOPLE QUEUING OVERNIGHT OUTSIDE ROYAL THEATRE WHERE THE CHRISTMAS LOTTERY WILL BE HELD PEOPLE IN QUEUE AND AUDIO HEARD OF A PERSON SINGING NUMBERS LIKE THE CHILDREN OF THE SAN ILDEFONSO DO WHEN THEY CALL OUT WINNING NUMBERS TWO GIRLS DRESSED IN SPACE SUITS WITH LOTTERY NUMBERS TAGGED ONTO COSTUMES MAN DRESSE
- Embargoed: 5th January 2018 07:20
- Keywords: lottery Christmas lottery spain El Gordo The fat one
- Location: MADRID, SPAIN
- City: MADRID, SPAIN
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Human Interest / Brights / Odd News,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA0017CZY05J
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Hundreds of Spaniards stood in the queue early Friday (December 22) outside the Royal Theatre in the capital Madrid to get top seats to watch the Christmas lottery, known as "El Gordo," (The Fat One) live and hopefully even take some of the winnings.
Many of them had been in the queue since Thursday (December 21).
Every year, millions of Spaniards club together with friends, family or co-workers to each buy fractions of the same ticket known as "decimos" (tenths) in the over 200-year-old lottery which, on winning numbers, pays out up to 400,000 euros for every 20 euros wagered.
The Christmas lottery is held every year on December 22 and thousands of people stay glued to TV screens for hours watching the San Ildefonso schoolchildren pluck lottery balls from a rotating drum, singing out the resulting numbers in a chant that fills offices and homes.
The "El Gordo" jackpot this year will dish out a total of 2.38 billion euros in prized to the holders of winning "decimos" with each ticket in the series allocated a 400,000 euro prize.
Spain Christmas lottery is designed so as many people as possible get some win or at least break even with cash prizes doled out across the country. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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