MADRID, December 25 ------ Players with winning tickets in Spain's huge Christmas lottery draw celebrated with sparkling wine, cheers and hugs in a 200-year-old tradition that marks the beginning of the Christmas season. The total prize pot in the state-run National Lottery event reached 2.71 billion euros ($2.83 billion) this year, slightly more than last year's 2.59 billion euros. The top prize, known as "El Gordo" (The Fat One), was won by ticket buyers in the northern city of Logrono, capital of La Rioja region that is famed for its wines.
In the nationally televised draw at Madrid's Teatro Real, young pupils from San Ildefonso school picked the winning numbers from two revolving globes and sang them out. The audience, who had queued for hours to enter, wore Santa hats, regional costumes and their personal lucky charms. "I'd like the lottery to go to Valencia. Honestly, I think it should go to the affected areas. We'd like that very much," said 25-year-old Vicent Jacinto, dressed in a traditional Valencian fallas suit and referring to deadly floods that struck the region in October.
Lottery mania hits Spain in the weeks leading up to the Christmas lottery. Relatives, co-workers, groups of friends and club members frequently buy tickets or fractions of them together, often favoring particular "lucky" vendors or numbers. The most common ticket costs 20 euros, offering up to 400,000 euros in prize money, before taxes. More than half of Sunday's top prize, even if bought in Logrono, travelled back to the capital as many winning tickets were held by a basketball club in the working class Madrid area of San Blas-Canillejas. Young club members and their families gathered to chant and dance to drums as they do on court. "I woke up late today and my mother entered my room with the tickets in her hands screaming like crazy," Diego Gala, 28, physical trainer of the club, told Reuters.
The lottery tradition dates back to 1812, when Spain was under French occupation during the Napoleonic Wars and the draw aimed to raise funds to fight for independence. These days, proceeds after operating costs and payouts are given to social causes.
Source: reuters.com
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