Winners of world’s richest lottery ‘El Gordo’ celebrate

Monday, 23 December 2019 00:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

MADRID, AFP: Winners of Spain’s ‘El Gordo’ lottery were celebrating yesterday after more than two billion euros were paid out as the lucky numbers were announced live on national television.

‘El Gordo’, or ‘The Fat One’, is the world’s richest lottery, playing out millions of euros every year to multiple winners.

A single lottery office in the resort town of Salou in the northeast Catalan region, shared out 320 million euros ($ 354 million), Spanish television station TVE reported.

Such are the riches that can be won, Spaniards spent more than 2.9 billion euros on lottery tickets in the hope of getting lucky – 3% more than the previous year, organisers said.

Children sang out the lucky numbers on the televised show. The winners are often members of the same family or work colleagues, who pool together to buy a one-tenth share of a ticket – because the more expensive tickets give you the chance of winning bigger prizes.

Thus if 10 people buy a share in a ticket which wins the top prize paid out, which is four million euros, then each will receive 400,000 euros.