El Gordo 2026: How Spain’s Christmas Lottery Works and How to Play
Décimos and billetes, where to buy official tickets in Madrid, the prize table, the tax on winnings and how to check and claim, plus the Niño draw on Jan. 6.
El Gordo, Spain’s Christmas Lottery (Sorteo Extraordinario de Navidad), is drawn on Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2026 at the Teatro Real in Madrid. A ticket share called a décimo costs €20, and a décimo with the top prize pays €400,000 before tax. Winnings above €40,000 per décimo are taxed at 20%.
How do décimos and billetes work?
Every number from 00000 to 99999 is printed in a set of identical series. A full ticket, the billete, is divided into ten décimos, so a billete costs €200 and each décimo €20. When a number wins, every décimo of that number in every series wins the same amount.
That is why the whole country shares the same few numbers. Families, bars, offices and clubs buy a décimo and split it into smaller shares called participaciones, often of €5 or less. A participación should show the number, the amount played, the amount donated if any, and the name of the club or business that holds the décimo. Keep it until the prize is paid, because only the holder of the actual décimo can collect from the lottery.
What can you win?
The prize structure has stayed the same for years. Amounts per €20 décimo in recent draws were as follows; Loterías y Apuestas del Estado, the state lottery company, publishes the official programme for each draw in the BOE.
| Prize | Number of prizes | Per €20 décimo |
|---|---|---|
| First prize (El Gordo) | 1 | €400,000 |
| Second prize | 1 | €125,000 |
| Third prize | 1 | €50,000 |
| Fourth prizes | 2 | €20,000 |
| Fifth prizes | 8 | €6,000 |
| Pedrea (small prizes) | 1,794 | €100 |
| Reintegro (last digit matches El Gordo) | About 1 in 10 numbers | €20 (your stake back) |
There are also smaller prizes for numbers next to the top three prizes (aproximaciones), numbers in the same hundred, and numbers ending in the same two or three digits. Check the final programme before the draw, since the number of series and the total prize money are set each year.
Where do you buy official tickets in Madrid?
Décimos are sold from summer until the morning of the draw at official lottery outlets (administraciones de lotería) and authorised points of sale with the Loterías y Apuestas del Estado sign, and on the company’s own website and app. Buying online needs registration with ID details and a Spanish payment method; prizes go to your account.
- Choose a number in person: outlets show which numbers they have; popular endings and dates sell out early.
- Doña Manolita: the outlet near Puerta del Sol is famous for long queues in December, often stretching down the street for hours. Its numbers have no better odds than any other.
- Avoid resellers: décimos sold above €20 by individuals or unofficial websites carry no guarantee and may be fake. Buy only from official outlets or the official app.
How much tax do you pay on a win?
Lottery prizes from the state lottery have a special 20% tax under the income tax law (Ley 35/2006). The first €40,000 of each décimo is exempt, and the 20% applies only to the part above it, as of November 2026.
| Prize per décimo | Taxable part | Tax withheld | You receive |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Gordo: €400,000 | €360,000 | €72,000 | €328,000 |
| Second: €125,000 | €85,000 | €17,000 | €108,000 |
| Third: €50,000 | €10,000 | €2,000 | €48,000 |
| Fourth: €20,000 | None | €0 | €20,000 |
The tax is withheld when the prize is paid, so you do not include it in your annual return. If a décimo is shared, the €40,000 exemption is split between the co-owners in proportion to their shares. Winners who live abroad may also owe tax in their home country; see our guide to income tax for Madrid residents for how residence affects tax.
How do you check your number and claim a prize?
- Watch the draw on public television from about 9 a.m.: children from the San Ildefonso school sing the numbers and prizes.
- Check your décimo on the official Loterías y Apuestas del Estado website or app, which publishes the full list once the draw ends. Unofficial lists sometimes contain errors.
- Small prizes (up to €2,000 per décimo) are paid at any lottery outlet.
- Larger prizes are paid through the banks designated by the lottery company. Take the décimo and your ID; a bank will not pay a damaged or photocopied ticket.
- Claim within three months of the day after the draw. Unclaimed prizes are lost.
Sign the back of a winning décimo and photograph both sides as soon as you know it has won. For a shared décimo, agree in writing who holds it and how it is split before collecting.
What is the Niño draw on Jan. 6?
El Niño (Sorteo Extraordinario del Niño) is the second big Christmas-season draw, held on Jan. 6, the Day of the Kings. Décimos also cost €20, but prizes are spread differently: the top prize is smaller than El Gordo’s and there are more mid-level prizes. Many people buy Niño tickets with the reintegro they got back from El Gordo. Our guide to the Three Kings parade in Madrid covers the rest of that day, and Christmas in Madrid the season’s events.
Bottom line
If your workplace or bar sells participaciones, ask to see a photo of the décimo that backs them, and keep your slip until the prize is paid. Buy in person well before mid-December if you want a specific number: the famous outlets near Sol have the longest queues in the final week.
FAQ
When is El Gordo 2026?
Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2026, at the Teatro Real in Madrid, starting around 9 a.m. The draw usually runs until early afternoon.
Can foreigners and tourists buy El Gordo tickets?
Yes. Anyone over 18 can buy a décimo at an official outlet in Spain. Collecting a large prize requires ID, and tax is withheld at source.
How much do you get if you win El Gordo?
A €20 décimo pays €400,000; after the 20% tax on the part above €40,000, you receive €328,000.
How long do I have to claim a prize?
Three months from the day after the draw. After that the prize is forfeited.
