Unemployed mom dreamed of winning Spain’s Christmas lottery. Then her number was called
People across Spain line up and purchase tickets in the days leading up to the annual Christmas lottery. Then, on Dec. 22, the day of the lottery drawing, they watch and listen for officials to call out the winning numbers.
Spain’s Christmas lottery is the richest in the world, giving out more prize money than any other lottery, the Spanish newspaper El País reported on Thursday, Dec. 22. This year, the lottery gave out about $2.7 billion in various amounts to hundreds of people across the country.
The first place winners receive the top prize, nicknamed “El Gordo” meaning the fat one, The Guardian reported.
Lottery officials — with the help of local children — draw the winning numbers at a live-streamed event from a theater in Madrid, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported.
Sitting in the theater with her two children was an unemployed Peruvian woman named Perla, El País reported. When officials called out the winning numbers for the top prize, Perla exploded with joy.
Photos show her crying tears of joy and holding her children. Perla kept repeating that she dreamed of winning this year, El País reported. She plans to use her winnings — about $425,000 — to buy a house and pay for her children’s education as well as donate to a church, the outlet reported.
Perla was one of the many Christmas lottery winners. Two women sitting in the same theater won fifth place prizes worth about $6,300 each, El Periódico reported. They planned to go out to breakfast.
The Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, won about $340 from two winning tickets, El Independiente and ABC reported.
A man from Gambia who made a dangerous journey across the Mediterranean Sea to reach mainland Europe won about $133,000, The Guardian and El Periódico reported.
For the Christmas lottery, officials draw one winning number for first, second and third place, two numbers for fourth place, and many numbers for fifth place, according to the lottery website. Every lottery ticket with a first place number wins about $425,000. Second place tickets win about $133,000. Third place tickets win about $53,000. Fourth place tickets win about $21,000, and fifth place tickets win about $6,300.
Google Translate was used to translate news releases from Spain’s State Lotteries and Gambling department and articles from El País, El Periódico, ABC, and El Independiente.
This story was originally published December 23, 2022 at 12:41 PM with the headline "Unemployed mom dreamed of winning Spain’s Christmas lottery. Then her number was called."
