Spain's lottery sellers have urged the government to raise the price of tickets for the country's traditional Christmas draw and boost the top prize known as the "Fat One" to keep up with inflation, the head of their main association has said.
Spain is grappling with a cost-of-living squeeze that has pushed up housing and energy costs, eroding disposable income and - lottery sellers say - the dream of striking it rich. "The jackpot hasn't changed in 14 years, while prices have climbed about 26%," according to Borja Muniz, President of ANAPAL, the group representing Spain's 4,100 lottery shops.
"Before, you could buy two apartments with it. Now it barely covers one," he told Reuters. ANAPAL proposes lifting the price of a tenth of a ticket, called "decimo", from 20 euros to 25 and raising the top prize from 400,000 euros to 500,000 euros per winning decimo.
Their proposal has been sent to the state-run lottery agency and the Budget Ministry. The agency organising the Christmas draw declined to comment. Lottery sellers say inflation and rising costs have eaten into their profits and want their commission on Christmas draw sales raised to 6% from 4.5%, in line with other national draws.
Spain's Christmas Lottery 2025 will introduce historic changes to the traditional draw scheduled for 22 December. For the first time in its more than two centuries of existence, the number of series will reach a record 198, resulting in a total issue worth 3,960 million euros. Of this amount, 2,772 million euros will be exclusively allocated to prizes, representing €70 million more than in the 2024 edition. These adjustments aim to enhance participants' chances of winning the coveted 'el Gordo' (the Fat One) whilst maintaining the value of the main prizes.
This increase in available series marks a significant milestone in the history of Spain's most anticipated annual lottery draw. The expansion to 198 series not only establishes a new record but also modifies the distribution of winning probabilities, making them more favourable for participants. Despite these substantial changes, 'el Gordo' will maintain its prize of 4 million euros per series, equivalent to 400,000 euros per winning tenth (décimo) before applicable tax deductions.