PALMA
IT did not quite rain tens of millions of euros on the Balearics yesterday but the Christmas El Gordo lottery draw, the richest in the world, did bring some luck to the region, in particular to Lloseta where a group of locals had managed to get their hands on first prize winning tickets, and to Palma where one of the eight fifth prize ticket series was won.
32.365 was the first prize winning number with each ticket worth 300'000 euros (three million euros per series of 10 tickets) and sold in various parts of mainland Spain but, those who bought ticket number 36'199 from lottery kiosk number seven in Avenida Argentina (right behind our offices!) were celebrating a fifth prize of 5'000 euros per ticket (50'000 euros per series of ten tickets).
Palma's fifth prize was drawn just after 9.30am and owner of the lottery kiosk, Yolanda Orfila, cracked open a bottle of cava she had chilling immediately - but winners were slow to react and there was no great stampede to the outlet by people eager to claim their winnings.
In Lloseta, it was a very different story as the cava started to flow and the party began - all thanks to Andreu Abrines, a local Barcelona football fan who bought a clutch of the winning tickets to order for some 15 friends when he went to watch his team play Getafe at the end of last month. They were six million euros richer last night.