According to SELAE, the State Lotteries and Betting Society, demand in the Balearics for tickets for this year's Christmas Lottery has exceeded that of 2019.
SELAE adds that the islands are no different to elsewhere in Spain in terms of the most requested tenths. Curiously, the most requested numbers don't relate to any event that is specifically Spanish. The start of the war in Ukraine (24-2-22) and the start of the World Cup (20-11-22) are among the most requested and so also are the death of Queen Elizabeth (8-9-22) and the resignation of Boris Johnson (7-7-22). These numbers have apparently been exhausted because of the demand.
Although there is increased demand in the Balearics for 'El Gordo', SELAE calculates the average spend per person to be 39.63 euros, which is well below the national average of around 70 euros. Spending on the lottery in the Balearics and indeed in the Canaries "cannot be compared with that in mainland regions". It has long been the case that there is far lower spending in the island regions.
SELAE believes that a reactivation of Spanish tourism in the Balearics, including Imserso holidays for pensioners, and foreign residents are reasons for higher demand this year. El Gordo has become "established among foreign residents".