BRITS have the chance to win a share of the world's biggest Christmas lottery tomorrow – but they'll need to be quick.
Spain's world-famous El Gordo lottery is offering a prize pot of £2.1 billion, with the biggest winners bagging as much as £3.5 million.
Those who want a chance to win the eye-watering cash prize have until 4pm UK time today to buy their tickets.
The El Gordo lottery is famous across the globe, with a staggering 180 million tickets up for grabs.
Eager players often queue for hours to get their hands on a ticket, which will set you back £15.
Read our El Gordo lottery live blog below for the latest news…
- Henry Moore
How is El Gordo drawn?
Queues form outside lottery booths weeks ahead of the draw and people tune in to find out if they are among the lucky ones.
The prize ticket numbers are sung out by pupils of Madrid's San Ildefonso School in a nationally televised event from the city's Teatro Real opera house.
Spain established its national lottery as a charity in 1763, during the reign of King Carlos III.
- Henry Moore
How do I apply to El Gordo?
El Gordo explains: "It is the same as if you came to Spain as a tourist and buy your tickets in any lottery shop.
"In fact, we have customers in more than 140 countries playing with us."
Brits can play El Gordo by visiting the website and buying a ticket for £33 – or ex-pats in Spain can visit their local shop to get their hands on a ticket.
Those who want to take part in the festive draw have until 4pm UK time on Wednesday to buy their tickets.
- Henry Moore
Selfless couple give away winnings
A £115million jackpot is probably enough to not just change your life, but the lives of everyone you’ve ever cared about too.
Which is probably why Frances and Patrick Connolly decided to give over half of their winnings to 175 people.
“We won £114,969,775.70 and we have given away more than half,” Frances said last year.
“That’s £60million-worth of love. And the thing that makes me even happier is that every single person we gave money to has passed some of it on to other people. I can’t think of a day since winning the Lottery that I haven’t smiled.”
Read more here.
- Henry Moore
‘I won £30k & brand new BMW on a Xmas scratchcard’
A GRATEFUL gran kicked off the 2022 in the best way possible, winning £30,000 and a brand new BMW on a scratch card.
Hanna Valarie Dewar, from Tain, in the Scottish Highlands, won big on the Cars & Cash National Lottery scratchcard, after she nearly threw the winning ticket away.
Mrs “Val” Dewar said she had decided to treat herself to the scratch card after a trip to the dentist last December and was left in disbelief after she realised she won.
The 79-year-old said that she nearly threw the winning ticket away before she realised she had won the top cash prize and a brand new BMW X2, the Daily Record reported.
She said: “I had been at the dentist that day and decided to buy myself a couple of Scratchcards to cheer myself up. I remember it because I was chatting to the lady behind the counter at Morrisons who, funnily enough, was also called Val.
“Being a few days before Christmas the shop was very busy so I decided to wait until I got home to scratch them.
“I live in a farmhouse with a big open fire and normally when I have scratched the cards, and if I haven’t won anything, I just throw them into the fire.
“Strangely, that day the fire wasn’t lit and boy am I glad about that!”
- Henry Moore
The money has 'changed' our lives
Terry Kennedy and Kay Yoxall scooped up £1m on a winning National Lottery ticket and immediately quit their jobs.
Terry said: "This win is something which has absolutely changed our lives forever, including the ability it’s given us to travel the world.
“It is always something you hope will happen to you but it is just a dream – you think it’s something that only happens to other people – not ordinary people like us.
“And it may be a whole year on since we won but still, every single day, we have to pinch ourselves to remind us that this is real and it really did happen to us."
- Henry Moore
Top tips for playing the lottery
Have you ever wondered the secrets to winning big in the lottery?
Is it pure luck or is there a system to it…?
- Avoid computer picks. It lowers your odds of winning.
- On scratchcards, try buying 10 of one ticket instead of several different tickets.
- Mix up your numbers.
- Even it out – Don’t pick all odd or all-even numbers.
- Split from the crowd, so don’t play patterns.
- Apparently, you should avoid anniversaries, birthdays and dates.
- Avoid playing winning numbers that have been drawn before, because every combination has a chance of coming up once every half a million drawings.
- Henry Moore
What is the El Gordo lottery?
The £2billion festive draw, held annually in the country since 1812, famously turns Brits and Spaniards into millionaires overnight.
It's the biggest prize payout in the world and millions tune in globally to watch the draw live on TV on December 22 every year.
The draw will see the top prize – known as El Gordo – paid out to those with the five winning numbers.
This year, 180 million tickets are up for grabs and the total amount for the grand prize is set to be £3.5million.
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