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Spaniards celebrate 'El Gordo' victories in world's biggest lotteryNews Story
Thousands of Spaniards including humble restaurant workers and care home residents celebrated wins in the world's biggest lottery draw on Monday, scooping up shares in over 2.2 billion euros (US$2.7 billion) in prizes doled out across the country. El Gordo, or the Fat One , is the top award millions vie for every year in the traditional Christmas lottery, which had Spaniards on tenterhooks for four hours as the ceremonial draw took longer than usual to throw up the big prizes. The Gordo pa
Dec 22, 2014, 10:24 pm - Lottery News

Spain holds annual Christmas El Gordo lottery drawNews Story
The winners of Spain's cherished Christmas lottery the world's richest celebrated around the country Sunday, a moment of joy and relief after another year of a brutal financial crisis. Millions had been glued to their televisions on Sunday as 2.5 billion euros (US$3.4 billion) in prize money was distributed. The drawing is so popular that most of Spain's 46 million people watched at least part of the live four-hour show, hoping they would hear their ticket as school children called out the lu
Dec 22, 2013, 9:01 pm - Lottery News

Good Samaritan may get unclaimed lotto jackpot in SpainNews Story
Includes audio report A city in northwest Spain issued a rather unusual lost-and-found notice this week: FOUND: A lottery ticket bought more than a year ago, which entitles the owner to an unclaimed $6.3 million jackpot. LOST: The ticket's owner. From its El Gordo ( The Fat One ) Christmas lottery, to the summertime EuroMillions drawing, Spain is a country obsessed with playing the lottery especially in a dismal economy. With unemployment above 27 percent, many Spaniards fi
Sep 20, 2013, 9:25 am - Lottery News

El Gordo jackpot brings lottery joy to thousands in SpainNews Story
Spaniards facing yet another year of economic misery found relief in the world's biggest lottery payout on Saturday, the traditional Christmas Gordo, or Fat One, which spread 2.52 billion (US$3.3 billion) in prize money around the country. Champagne corks popped in towns, cities and villages across Spain as tens of thousands of winners took home enough money to keep their families going through the dark days of 2013 and beyond. Yesterday we were both on the dole, but today we are winners,
Dec 24, 2012, 8:33 am - Lottery News

Entire town, except one guy, wins $950M lotteryNews Story
Just a few weeks ago, the 70 households in the isolated farming village of Sodeto were struggling under the double whammy of Spain's economic downturn and the ravages of a severe drought. Some were even thinking of passing up Spain's huge Christmas lottery, known as El Gordo the fat one which is something of a national obsession. But they bought tickets out of loyalty to the homemakers' association here, which makes a small percentage on the sales. And then, their number came in. All bu
Feb 2, 2012, 4:35 pm - Lottery News

Spanish Christmas lottery pays out billionsNews Story
Days before Christmas, a tiny town of 2,000 in cash-strapped Spain found itself richer by 720 million (US$940 million) Thursday after scooping the top prize in the nation's famed Christmas lottery. Billed as the world's richest, the lottery dishes out some 2.52 billion (US$3.29 billion) to winners across the nation. The top prize dubbed El Gordo (The Fat One) was split among the holders of tickets bearing the number 58268. The number appeared on 1,800 tickets, giving winners 400,000 for th
Dec 23, 2011, 12:27 pm - Lottery News

World's biggest lottery draw sets new recordNews Story
El Gordo prize pool reaches a new high, now worth 2.5 billion By Todd Northrop Any economic hardships that may exist in Spain are not dampening the desire to win big, as people line up outside Lottery outlets, particularly in the cities of Madrid and Barcelona, to purchase tickets for this year's El Gordo drawing. As the drawing date of El Gordo (literally translated as The Fat One ) nears, lottery players are lining up for their chance to win a slice of an unbelievably huge pot of mone
Dec 14, 2011, 10:59 pm - Lottery News

Spain to privatize lotteryNews Story
The Spanish government is close to selecting three advisers to help it sell shares in national lottery Sociedad Estatal de Loter as y Apuestas del Estado SA that could raise as much as $10.62 billion. The choice of strategic, financial and legal advisers could be announced as soon as Tuesday, Aurelio Mart nez, chairman of Loter as y Apuestas del Estado, said in an interview. The mandates are considered prestigious for consulting firms, investment banks and law firms, even if the fees involved
May 24, 2011, 7:03 am - Lottery News

Spanish lottery player wins €123M Euro Millions jackpotNews Story
By Todd Northrop One lucky lottery ticket sold in Spain won the entire 123 million (US$174 million) jackpot in the Friday Euro Millions drawing. The mega jackpot became so large so fast because the 11 countries participating in Euro Millions boosted the grand prize to 100 million this week to promote the new Tuesday drawings. When no ticket matched all five numbers plus the two lucky stars Tuesday, the jackpot grew to 123 million Friday. This huge jackpot has been really exciting for p
May 14, 2011, 7:53 am - Lottery News

Lottery winner flees Spain penniless as bank seizes villa and barNews Story
When Lawrence Candlish won 5.5 million (US$8.8 million) playing the National Lottery in 1997 it promised to make his dreams come true, including buying himself the double hip replacement he needed. The generous factory worker immediately shared his fortune with his many relatives, shelling out 370,000 (US$590,000) to buy seven houses in the same street in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear so that they could be close together. Eventually he moved with his family to Benidorm on Spain's Costa Blanca t
Jan 24, 2011, 8:22 am - Lottery News