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El Gordo winning numbers announced | El Gordo winning numbers announced |
(8 minutes later) | |
Up to 1,950 people have won a share in the world's richest lottery - Spain's El Gordo, or "Fat One". | Up to 1,950 people have won a share in the world's richest lottery - Spain's El Gordo, or "Fat One". |
The lottery has a total prize fund of $3.2bn (£2.14bn; 2.3bn euros), some 100m euros more than last year. | The lottery has a total prize fund of $3.2bn (£2.14bn; 2.3bn euros), some 100m euros more than last year. |
The winning tickets bear the numbers 32365. The numbers were sung as a Gregorian chant by Madrid schoolchildren during a televised draw. | The winning tickets bear the numbers 32365. The numbers were sung as a Gregorian chant by Madrid schoolchildren during a televised draw. |
Tickets have been sold online to more than 140 countries and were purchased by four out of five Spanish residents. | Tickets have been sold online to more than 140 countries and were purchased by four out of five Spanish residents. |
Many punters had queued for hours in the capital to buy what organisers are calling "a slice of hope" in these troubled economic times. | Many punters had queued for hours in the capital to buy what organisers are calling "a slice of hope" in these troubled economic times. |
With the country on the edge of recession, ticket sales have been slightly down on last year. | With the country on the edge of recession, ticket sales have been slightly down on last year. |
But most said that buying their annual ticket remains a tradition they are unwilling to break. | But most said that buying their annual ticket remains a tradition they are unwilling to break. |
"I have less money so I buy less but I've still bought 20 tickets this year," one man told the BBC's Steve Kingstone, in Madrid. | "I have less money so I buy less but I've still bought 20 tickets this year," one man told the BBC's Steve Kingstone, in Madrid. |
The notoriously complicated draw for El Gordo takes place over several hours on live television with 13,000 tax free cash prizes at stake. | The notoriously complicated draw for El Gordo takes place over several hours on live television with 13,000 tax free cash prizes at stake. |
Many Spaniards find an excuse to leave work, and watch the unfolding drama in bars and restaurants. | Many Spaniards find an excuse to leave work, and watch the unfolding drama in bars and restaurants. |
Rather than offering a single jackpot, the lottery boasts that thousands of ticket holders will achieve a win of some kind. | Rather than offering a single jackpot, the lottery boasts that thousands of ticket holders will achieve a win of some kind. |
But for most players, our correspondent says, El Gordo will come to a big fat nothing - mathematicians say the probability of breaking even is less than 6%. | But for most players, our correspondent says, El Gordo will come to a big fat nothing - mathematicians say the probability of breaking even is less than 6%. |