El Gordo is the first prize of Spain’s hugely popular national Christmas lottery, which is said to be the world’s largest based on the total prize money involved, even though other lotteries have larger single prizes. This year's draw will spread riches totaling 2.7 billion euros (around $2.8 billion), much of it in small winnings.

For weeks, Spaniards have been anticipating the arrival of “El Gordo” or "The Fat One", the first prize of Spain’s hugely popular national Christmas lottery.