In the country of Spain, lotto involvement is very common and as is the nature of a lot of E U countries, lotto is a way of life. It is traditional for residents to participate regularly and certainly "La Primitiva," (Often called - el gordo de la primitiva) the state organized competition is a major centre of attention twice a week.

When it comes to the grandfather of them all, nonetheless, El Gordo - also identified as the Christmas "fat one" is too amazing to apprehend. This is the most favourite drawing of the year by far and marks the beginning of the festive season in no uncertain terms. It's stated that King Carlos 111 introduced this contest back in the eighteenth century, as he wished his citizens to have a better way of life.

The el gordo primitiva Christmas lottery draw is the largest in the world with a total prize fund payout around two billion Euros, with an enormous first prize that, because of the nature of the competition, is automatically split among several identical winning lotto tickets. So many people wish to take part in El Gordo lottery, that it is judged to be as much as 97 percent of the whole population, which the actual set of numbers is sold in multiples. You can buy a whole ticket for 200 Euros as a "billette", or a 10th of a ticket, otherwise known as a "decimos."

El Gordo is very much different from every other competition on the planet, as many players of the gordo loteria do not bet for the rest of that year. As such, it can be seen as a significant tradition, instead of just a lottery contest.

Custom is everything with the El Gordo lotto, as the lottery draw is administered identically each year. Plus, the results and the prizes are sung in public by Scholars at the San Ildefenso School. State television and radio pay particular attention to this event; and the actual drawing itself takes about three hours on the morning of December 22 each year. There are a huge number of prizes and the drawing procedure is rather complex. Traditionally, winners often donate a percentage of the money to the school children.

The El Gordo lottery is especially popular as there is a very good chance of acquiring a prize. It should be remembered though that the actual occasion itself is famed as the Christmas lottery, unlike the El Gordo, as this is reserved for the actual first prize. As the potential rewards are so high, it is usual for people to unite together to raise their odds of winning, and these El Gordo syndicate groups are another means of celebrating their custom at this joyous time of the year by bringing acquaintances and friends together.

El Gordo should not be confused with the weekly drawing also run by the Spanish governing body and otherwise recognized as the La Primitiva or primitiva el gordo. The same title is often used to refer to both of them, although passionate Spanish people are fully aware of the difference between them. As is common in state lotto's, winnings are nontaxable.