Annual Christmas drawing doles out €2.7 billion

By Kate Northrop

Spain's famous annual El Gordo, which translates to "The Fat One," has expectedly spurred celebration across the nation with its €2.7 billion (US$2.8 billion) prize payout, but a ticket slip up has left some villagers in a small town shorthanded.

Townsfolk in Villamanin, a village of fewer than 1,000 residents, won €35 million in the €2.7 billion El Gordo lottery draw but lost €4 million of that prize money due to a ticket blunder by organizers.

The town of Villamanin is small and isolated, situated in the mountains of Leon province and barely amounting to 100 residents in the cold, winter months. As a result, the village maintains a fiesta committee of about a dozen people aged 18 to 25 who oversee festivals and keep celebrations funded.

One of the ways they raise funding for annual fiestas is through selling lottery tickets for the Christmas lottery to locals, residents from neighboring villages, and visitors. This year, according to Diaro de León, they sold 450 official shares at €5 each, keeping €1 per sale to contribute toward funding.

However, the committee failed to record and report 50 of the shares to the lottery office after one member left them in their home. Buyers must register all shares with the lottery administration before the drawing in order to have a right to claim a prize. As a result, winning ticketholders lost out on a collective €4 million (US$4.7 million) when the winning number 79432 was called out.

The committee met with residents, some of whom accused organizers of committing fraud and keeping ticket proceeds for themselves.

"We have stolen nothing," El Pais reported a committee member pleading through tears. "Tonight, we have lost friends."

After more than three hours of heated arguments and tearful discussions between village committee organizers and residents, the town reached a shaky compromise that at least awarded ticketholders a portion of what they would have won.

Organizers insisted that there was no ill will or bad faith intent to commit fraud, rather it was an immense, genuine slip-up and a failure in management. There were ultimately two paths forward: go to court to fight for the full prize, or have every winner unanimously agree to take a 10% cut while organizers get nothing.

It was the latter that prevailed, since going the legal route would likely incur personal financial costs for everyone involved, force some to take out mortgages, and possibly result in jailtime. Instead, winners are — begrudgingly — accepting a 10% cut on their prize, or about €6,000 (US$7,057), to take home about €66,500 (US$78,216) as opposed to receiving about €80,000 (US$ 94,095). Committee members agreed to forgo their winnings to make up for the gap, which collectively totaled about €2 million (US$2.35 million).

"It is the only solution if we want to get paid," a meeting attendee told Diaro de León.

Winners of El Gordo prizes have three months from the draw date to claim prizes.

"I only hope that it is fixed," Villamanin mayor Álvaro Barriales told the local paper. "This is a very united town, and I would not like this to divide and confront the neighbors as is happening."