The best lotteries to play at Christmas and New Year's Eve
The holiday season is upon us, and lotteries around the world are starting to prepare their Christmas and New Year's celebrations with special prizes that you can't miss.
For years now, in several countries around the world, Christmas and New Year's lotteries have become a long-awaited tradition in every home. Not only because of the Christmas themes, but above all because of the incredible special prizes that are up for grabs at this time of year.
In some countries, the tradition is so old that it goes back centuries, while in others it is a newer celebration. Do you want to know which are the most important Christmas and New Year lotteries with the best prizes? Keep reading so you don't miss any of them!
Spanish Christmas Draw of the National Lottery
It is probably the oldest Christmas lottery in the world, since its origins date back to 1812 when the first draw was held. The Spanish Christmas Lottery, also known as El Gordo de Navidad, is probably the most famous in the world, as it distributes a total of 2.5 billion euros in prizes.
To play the Christmas Lottery, it is necessary to buy a tenth with 5 numbers, which can range from 00000 to 99999. The bet is known as a tenth, since each number is actually divided into 10 tenths. If the number is drawn with one of the prizes, the total amount is divided among the 10 tenths: if you have bought only one tenth, you will keep one tenth of the prize, while if you have bought the whole series, you will keep the whole prize.
The first prize is known as the Gordo de Navidad and amounts to 4,000,000 euros (400,000 per tenth). But, in addition, there are in total 5 first prizes, 1794 Pedreas (prizes of one thousand euros) and many other hundreds of prizes for approximations to the winning numbers.
The draw will be held on Thursday, December 22nd from 9.00 am (Madrid time), and tickets are already on sale.
Argentina's Christmas Gordo
The second oldest Christmas lottery in the world is in Argentina, where the Gordo de Navidad has been held since 1893.
As in the case of the Spanish Christmas Draw, the Argentinean Gordo de Navidad is also played by buying tenths of the ticket, which also go from 00000 to 99999. This year's jackpot will be 115,000,000 Argentinean pesos (the equivalent of approximately US$ 684,157), and a total of 234 million Argentinean pesos will be distributed in prizes.
This year, the drawing will be held on December 23 at 9.00 pm (Buenos Aires time).
Lotteria Italia
The Italian lottery special for these dates is celebrated on January 6th, and is known as Lotteria Italia. Previously it was held on New Year's Eve and was called Lotteria del Capodanno, so its origins date back to 1956.
It is a media phenomenon in Italy, with a live broadcast in which several celebrities from all over the world, from Raffaella Carrà to Shakira, have participated. The first prize of the draw distributes 5 million euros, the second prize of 2 million euros and the third prize of 1 million euros.
To participate, it is necessary to buy a ticket consisting of a series of 1 or 2 letters and 6 numbers.
Mega-Sena da Virada
One of the most awaited draws for New Year's Eve is the Mega-Sena da Virada, or simply Mega da Virada, which is held in Brazil on the last day of the year. Although it is a relatively new draw, since it began in 2008 as Mega-Sena Special for the End of the Year, it has become very popular in Brazil, since it is the draw that distributes the biggest prizes of the whole year.
This year, the first prize, which is known as Sena, distributes 450 million reais, equivalent to approximately US$ 85 million. To win the first prize, it is necessary to match 6 numbers from 1 to 60. However, it is also possible to win the second prize (Quina) by matching 5, or even the third prize (Quadra) by matching only 4 numbers.
Tickets for this draw are already on sale since November 16, and will be held on December 31 at 8.00 pm (Brazilian time).