What is elGordo?

elGordo Christmas is the most traditional draw in Spain. It is a tradition that everyone plays the lottery on December 22th.

It has a long history behind it. In Spain it is a tradition that people play with family and friends, sharing numbers and hopes.

Some features of elGordo Christmas:

•     It gives more prizes than any other draw in the world.
•     It has the bigger number of prized tickets (15.304).
•     Safety; the draw is managed by the Spanish goverment.
•     Maximum chances to win a prize.
•     The prizes are paid immediately, in an unique payment.
•     70 per cent of the emission is assigned for prizes.

The draw

Re-count of the balls and closing of the saloon

December 21 will be public at 23:00, the exam and recount of the number bowls and prizes bowls that are going to be in elGordo Christmas.
This balls could be checked by the assistants if they want it, with a previous request and the president's authorization.
When the recount is finished, everybody leaves the saloon and it is secured with interior latches all its access except the platform door, which keys are kept by 3 different claveros, once closed and sealed.

Celebration of the draw

The saloon is opened at at 8.00 the day 22, and everybody could get in, the only limitation is the capacity of the local.

At 8.30 is constituted the table that presides and authorizes the draw. After this, when the balls are showed to the public, the bowls are transported mechanically by the tolva, where they were deposited previously, to the bowl.

This operation is made with number balls and with prizes balls. At last, the bowls are closed and with a sign of the president they are turned over simultaneously.
A boy or a girl of St. Ildefonso´s school extracts a ball from the bowl of numbers and another children at the same time, took another of the bowl of prizes, both are sang by another two children, that inserts the balls in wires.

These wires are joined in a table untill they contain 2 hundred balls of each type, being properly closed in front of the president´s table with the agree of the president and the auditor.

elGordo Christmas finishes when there are no balls in the prizes bowl.