Spanish lottery hands out $3 billion

Associated Press

MADRID

Spain’s beloved Christmas lottery sprinkled $3 billion in holiday cheer across the country Wednesday, handing out winnings eagerly welcomed by a nation facing 20 percent unemployment.

One of the most-awaited days of the year in Spain served up merry moments for people struggling to make mortgage payments and pay bills or those seeking jobs. One lottery vendor said he had hired a medium to lure good luck.

The government-run lottery billed as the world’s richest has no single jackpot but operates a complex share-the-wealth system in which thousands of five-digit numbers running from 00000 to 84999 win at least something. It is known as “El Gordo” (The Fat One) and dates back to 1812.

Tax-free winnings range from the face value of a $26.31 ticket — in other words, you get your money back — to a top prize of $394,650.

The sweepstakes, which goes on for three hours, informally ushers in the Christmas season. Many Spaniards spend the day glued to TV sets, radios and computers, waiting to see if they are among the lucky. People often team up to buy shares of tickets sold by bars, sports clubs and business offices.

One bar in Palleja, a town near Barcelona, sold 600 of the top-prize tickets — that top-fetching number was 79250 — worth a cool $236.8 million. Its owner, Jose Antonio Maldonado, was ecstatic over being able to help people in need during hard economic times.