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If you’re looking for a lottery that’s less about one person buying a yacht and more about an entire village getting a new roof, you’ve found it. El Gordo (literally “The Fat One”) is the Spanish Christmas Lottery, a massive cultural event. It’s been running since 1812—even during the Spanish Civil War—making it a national obsession. On December 22nd, the whole country stops. Since today is December 31st, the 2025 “Fat One” has actually just been crowned! This year’s winning number for the top prize was 79432.
How the El Gordo Tickets Work
This isn’t your typical “pick six numbers” deal. Tickets are pre-printed with 5-digit numbers (00000 to 99999).
- The Billete: A full ticket costs €200, which is a lot for a stocking stuffer.
- The Décimo: Most people buy a “décimo” (one-tenth of a ticket) for €20.
- The Community Factor: Because thousands of tickets are printed with the same number, entire neighborhoods, bars, or office departments often buy shares of the same number. When that number wins, the whole town throws a party.
The Draw: A 4-Hour Opera
The draw is held at the Teatro Real in Madrid and is famously weird/charming. Instead of a machine spitting out balls, children from the San Ildefonso school sing the winning numbers and the prizes in a rhythmic chant. It takes hours, and Spaniards listen to it all day while they work or prep for the holidays.
Prize Tiers: Why Everyone Wins Something
El Gordo is famous for its “Pedrea” (the pebble shower)—a massive amount of smaller prizes that make it feel like everyone is winning.
Prize Amount (per Décimo) Odds of Winning
- El Gordo (1st) €400,000 1 in 100,000
- 2nd Prize €125,000 1 in 100,000
- 3rd Prize €50,000 1 in 100,000
- La Pedrea €100 1 in 56
- Reintegro (Cashback) €20 1 in 10
Fun Fact: The odds of winning the jackpot here (1 in 100k) are way better than most lotteries. For comparison, SuperEnalotto is roughly 1 in 622 million!
Playing El Gordo Outside Spain
Even though the 2025 draw just happened, you can usually start buying for the next one as early as July! International players use sites like RedFoxLotto. They physically go out in Spain, buy the décimo for you, and send you a scan. You can also check whether you’ve won on the same platform.
The Fine Print
Tax Man: If you win more than €40,000, the Spanish government takes a 20% cut of anything above that amount. Don’t Be “That Guy”: The worst nightmare in Spain is being the only person in your office who didn’t buy into the shared décimo. For support and guidance, Gambling6 encourages players to approach lottery games like El Gordo responsibly.