Logrono wins Spanish lottery

[MickMac]

Spain’s huge Christmas lottery spreads riches worth almost €3bn

Top prize, known as El Gordo or the Fat One, won by ticket holders in the northern city of Logroño

www.theguardian.com

 

[J Willhaus]

 

[SabsP]

The live show is always great entertainment though this student made an error ( due to high stress surely).

Una niña canta un falso Gordo en el sorteo de Lotería de Navidad y genera confusión en la audiencia

Una niña canta un falso Gordo en el sorteo de Lotería de Navidad y genera confusión en la audiencia

www.rtve.es

The singing children of the Colegio of San Ildefonso in Madrid.

El 72.480, Gordo de la Lotería de Navidad 2024, riega de millones Logroño y un club de baloncesto en Madrid

El 72.480, Gordo de la Lotería de Navidad 2024, riega de millones Logroño y un club de baloncesto en Madrid

www.rtve.es

 

[ivar]

No luck for us today. This lottery is part of the Christmas traditions in Spain.
View attachment IMG_6170.mov

 

[Takahiwai]

I wish I still lived there - I might have been in on that!

 

[SabsP]

I wish I still lived there - I might have been in on that!

Community spirit also at its best when people from a street or a specific neighbourhood buy tickets together.

 

[henrythedog]

I’m clearly no stranger to controversy.

It’s a tax on the poor and the stupid - as is pretty much any form of gambling - but in this case especially so.

The state gets over €1.2 billion (BILLION) from the state lottery annually. I’m sure that is deployed to socially beneficial causes, but still. If the object of taxation policy is to pluck the most feathers from the goose with the least amount of hissing, the state lottery seems to win.

 

[peregrina2000]

It’s a tax on the poor and the stupid - as is pretty much any form of gambling - but in this case especially so.

I generally agree with what you say about lotteries, @henrythedog, but I think that in this case the cost is spread much more evenly across all strata of society. Not only poor and stupid people play the Christmas lottery. It is a huge tradition in many families, workplaces, neighborhoods, social clubs, parishes, etc. Almost every single professional Spaniard I know buys in with at least one décimo and frequently several. With their eyes fully open, but enjoying the tradition, sing song results and all.

Your post is a bit too “Bah humbug” methinks.

 

[ivar]

It has become much more than a regular lottery.. it is almost part of the Christmas traditions. Others from outside of Spain might not see this.

 

[henrythedog]

I generally agree with what you say about lotteries, @henrythedog, but I think that in this case the cost is spread much more evenly across all strata of society. Not only poor and stupid people play the Christmas lottery. It is a huge tradition in many families, workplaces, neighborhoods, social clubs, parishes, etc. Almost every single professional Spaniard I know buys in with at least one décimo and frequently several. With their eyes fully open, but enjoying the tradition, sing song results and all.

Your post is a bit too “Bah humbug” methinks.

That’s a reasonable summary.

Clearly it’s a tradition - started to finance the war with France in the early 19C (which one may suspect has now been paid for several times over) - and now is a significant national event. The average purchase - I assume per adult - is €70; and I very much doubt that spend is biased towards the higher earners. The queues outside the lottery offices in December are immense.

It’s a free choice to participate, or not; and extraordinarily an optional tax willingly paid.

 

[Pelegrin]

The tradition includes exchanging lottery with family, extended famlly and friends, usually ten euros. A person selected to exchange lottery means that is " important" to you.

 

[andonius]

It's the only tax we pay with pleasure... as it is one of our most important traitions in Christmas. We don't think about it as a lottery, but more as a social event that signals the beggining of Christmas celebrations. We play in common the same number with our friends, with our family (my father used to give us a ticket to each of his sons and grandsons).... Even most companies have a number for their employees to buy and many shops will give you a small stake (0,5 or 1 euros) if you buy something.
So in Christmas lottery we share illusion and friendship, not ususally prizes.
For me and a lot more people I know it's the only time of the year in which we buy lottery.
They begin to sell it in summer, so many people buy a number in their holiday residence, and many spanish pilgrims when they are in EL Camino past August use to buy some numbers in the most significant towns they go through.

 

[dougfitz]

It’s a tax on the poor and the stupid

an optional tax

It's the only tax we pay with pleasure

It won't matter how often one says it, it still isn't a tax. Taxes are both involuntary and universal. Buying a lottery ticket is neither of these things.

 

[henrythedog]

It won't matter how often one says it, it still isn't a tax. Taxes are both involuntary and universal. Buying a lottery ticket is neither of these things.

OK, a form of government revenue raising in which participation is optional?

Happy Christmas.