People wait for the start of the draw at Madrid's Teatro Real opera house during Spain's bumper Christmas lottery draw known as El Gordo, or The Fat One, in Madrid, Spain, Friday, Dec. 22, 2023.

Spain’s 200-year-old holiday lottery "The Fat One" delivered a hefty prize again this year, with over $2.8 billion in prizes warbled out by school children and watched live around the world.

Lucky holders of 20-euro tickets with the number 88008 are celebrating. They have each won 400,000 euros ($440,000), in the top prize of Spain's huge Christmas lottery.

FILE - Lottery sellers celebrate in front of their shop after selling a winning ticket of the first prize of Spain's Christmas lottery ''El Gordo'' of calle Aranal de Madrid, on Dec. 22, 2022.

Spain’s national lottery was first established as a charity in 1763 by the Bourbon monarch King Carlos III. It was later used to shore up state coffers. Today, it supports various charities.

THE draw for tonight’s National Lottery EuroMillions (July 15, 2025) has taken place, with life-changing cash prizes at stake ...

MADRID — Players with winning tickets in Spain’s huge Christmas lottery draw on Sunday celebrated with sparkling wine, cheers and hugs in a 200-year-old tradition that marks the beginning of ...

The immensely popular lottery will distribute a total of $2.8 billion in prizes this year, much of it in small prizes. Street and bar celebrations normally break out with winners singing and dancing.

Spain's national lottery was first established as a charity in 1763 by the Bourbon monarch King Carlos III. It was later used to shore up state coffers. Today, it supports various charities.

Lottery mania hits Spain in the weeks leading up to the Christmas lottery. Relatives, co-workers, groups of friends and club members frequently buy tickets or fractions of them together, often ...

For weeks, Spaniards had anticipated the arrival of “El Gordo” or “The Fat One.” ...