The El Gordo Christmas lottery draw is on Tuesday 22 December 2026, broadcast live from the Teatro Real in Madrid. A ticket share (a décimo) costs €20, and if your number comes up as El Gordo, that décimo wins €400,000 before tax.
If you’ve just moved to Spain, you’ll soon notice that everyone, from the bar owner to your neighbour to the bloke at the garage, is asking whether you’ve “got your lottery yet”. Here’s how it all works, explained by a Brit who’s been taking part for over a decade.
What is El Gordo?
El Gordo (“the fat one”) is the nickname for the top prize in the Lotería de Navidad, Spain’s Christmas lottery. It has been running since 1812 and is often described as the world’s richest lottery, because of the total prize fund rather than one huge jackpot.
That’s the key difference from the UK lottery. Instead of one person winning millions, the prizes are spread across thousands of people. Whole villages, bars and workplaces often share the same number, so when El Gordo lands somewhere, the whole town celebrates.
The draw itself is a national event. Children from Madrid’s San Ildefonso school sing out the winning numbers and prizes for hours. It’s on TV in nearly every bar in the country, and in a lot of homes it’s the unofficial start of Christmas.
When is the El Gordo 2026 draw?
- Date: Tuesday 22 December 2026
- Time: it usually starts at about 9am and runs until early afternoon
- Where to watch: live on RTVE (La 1) and online, and on the TV in just about every bar in Spain
- Last day to buy: Monday 21 December 2026
Billete, décimo and participación: what you’re actually buying
This is the bit that confuses most expats.
- Número: the five-digit number, from 00000 to 99999.
- Billete: a full ticket for one number. It’s made up of 10 décimos, so it costs €200.
- Décimo: one tenth of a billete, for €20. This is what most people buy, and it’s the official ticket.
- Participación: a small share of a décimo, sold by bars, clubs, schools and associations, usually for €3–€5. They’re often sold with a small extra donativo (donation) for the club or charity.
Because the same number is printed many times (there are 205 series in 2026), you might find your bar, your neighbours and half your town all holding the same number. That’s all part of it.
A tip from experience: if you buy a participación from a bar or club, keep it safe and take a photo of both sides. It’s a legal document, and it’s what you’ll need to claim.
Where to buy El Gordo tickets
- Official lottery shops (Administraciones de Lotería): look for the blue and white “Loterías y Apuestas del Estado” sign.
- Official sellers, including some tobacconists (estancos), bars and kiosks with an official lottery terminal.
- Online, through the official Loterías y Apuestas del Estado website or app.
- Your local bar, club or town association, for participaciones.
Steer clear of unofficial websites selling “El Gordo tickets” from abroad at inflated prices. Buy from official sellers only.
Myself and Soph buy ours in a local bar in Catral. When we lived in Granada we did share a number with friends.
How much can you win?
Prizes per €20 décimo, before tax:
| Prize | Per décimo (€20) | Per billete (€200) |
|---|---|---|
| El Gordo (1st prize) | €400,000 | €4,000,000 |
| Second prize | €125,000 | €1,250,000 |
| Third prize | €50,000 | €500,000 |
| Fourth prizes (2 numbers) | €20,000 | €200,000 |
| Fifth prizes (8 numbers) | €6,000 | €60,000 |
| Pedrea (smaller prizes) | €100 | €1,000 |
| Reintegro (your money back) | €20 | €200 |
The reintegro means that if the last digit of your number matches the last digit of El Gordo, you get your €20 back. It’s the most common win, and most people put it straight into a ticket for the next big draw, El Niño on 6 January.
Tax on El Gordo winnings
The first €40,000 of a prize is tax-free. Anything above that is taxed at 20%, which is taken off before you’re paid. So if El Gordo comes up on your €20 décimo, you’d receive about €328,000 rather than €400,000.
If you share a décimo, each person’s share is taxed separately.
The same withholding applies whether you’re resident in Spain or not. If you’re a UK tax resident, check your own position too, because the rules can differ between countries. We’re not tax advisers, so if you win big, speak to a gestor or a tax adviser before you spend it.
How to check your numbers
- Watch the draw live, or check the full results on the official Loterías y Apuestas del Estado website or app.
- Take your décimo to any lottery shop, where they can scan it for you.
- Spanish newspapers publish the full list of results that afternoon.
Claiming: prizes up to €2,000 can be collected at any lottery shop. Bigger prizes are paid through the official banks (in 2026, BBVA and CaixaBank). The deadline to claim is 23 March 2027, three months after the draw.
Our El Gordo tradition
We’ll usually buy 2 or 3 tickets on different weeks on Novemebr or December and sometimes even from different bars or shops.
Don’t forget El Niño on 6 January
Spain’s second big Christmas lottery, El Niño, is drawn on 6 January 2027, Three Kings Day. It has smaller top prizes but better overall odds of winning something, and it’s where a lot of El Gordo reintegros get spent.
El Gordo FAQs
Can foreigners and non-residents play El Gordo?
Yes. Anyone over 18 can buy an official décimo. You don’t need to be resident in Spain.
Can I buy El Gordo from the UK?
Only through official channels. The official Loterías y Apuestas del Estado website has its own rules on who can buy online, so check there. Be very wary of third-party sites selling tickets abroad.
What happens if two people share a décimo?
It’s common, and the prize is split. Each person’s share is taxed separately, with its own €40,000 tax-free amount. Keep a note of who has paid what.
How long do I have to claim a prize?
Three months from the draw. For El Gordo 2026, that’s until 23 March 2027.
What are my chances of winning El Gordo?
About 1 in 100,000 for the top prize, but roughly 1 in 7 of winning something, mostly the reintegro, which gives you your money back.
