Christmas lotteries worth 2.24 billion in prize money this year

Overall, this is 280 million euros fewer than last year, and the number of ticket series has decreased from 180 to 160.

Of the total prize money, 640 million will be handed out to winners of the most well-known festive lottery, the El Gordo, literally 'the fat one'.

This is one of Spain's favourites, since the chances of winning are much higher even though the prizes are much lower, typically running into tens of thousands rather than millions.

Already, the annual TV advert for the seasonal lottery has been launched and stars singers Montserrat Caballé, Marta Sánchez, Niña Pastori and David Bustamante.

Each 'series' of numbers for the El Gordo draw has 100,000 tickets, and a full ticket continues to cost 200 euros – but they are sold in décimos, or tenths, at 20 euros each.

The price has not varied in many years, but anyone who wins 2,500 euros or more will now have to hand over 20 per cent to the government in tax.

First prize in the El Gordo draw for a full ticket is four million euros for the winning series, or 400,000 euros for a décimo; second prize is 1.25 million for a full ticket or 125,000 euros for a décimo and third prize is half a million euros for a full ticket, or 50,000 euros for a décimo.

Two fourth prizes of 200,000 euros for a ticket and 20,000 euros for a tenth of a ticket, eight fifth prizes at 60,000 euros or 6,000 euros for a décimo, and 1,794 prizes of 1,000 euros a ticket or 100 euros for a tenth of a ticket will be given out.

Lottery sellers do not expect to see a fall in sales since, although these have fallen in recent years between late January and mid-November, the Christmas and New Year 'El Niño' lotteries continue to attract buyers.

The crisis does not appear to hit the festive draws, sellers say, and in fact they often shift even more tickets since residents who are fast running out of hope of ever making ends meet tend to buy a Christmas lottery ticket as a last resort.