Spain's Christmas lottery spreads cash and seasonal joy to winners

Players with winning tickets in Spain's huge Christmas lottery draw on Sunday celebrated with sparkling wine, cheers and hugs in a 200-year-old tradition that marks the beginning of the Christmas season.

The total prize pot in the state-run National Lottery event reached 2.71 billion euros ($2.83 billion) this year, slightly more than last year's 2.59 billion euros.

The top prize, known as "El Gordo" (The Fat One), was won in the northern city of Logrono, capital of La Rioja region that is famed for its wines.

In the nationally televised draw at Madrid's Teatro Real, young pupils from San Ildefonso school picked the winning numbers from two revolving globes and sang them out.

The audience, who had queued for hours to enter, wore Santa hats, regional costumes and their personal lucky charms.

"I'd like the lottery to go to Valencia. Honestly, I think it should go to the affected areas. We'd like that very much," said 25-year-old Vicent Jacinto, dressed in a traditional Valencian fallas suit and referring to deadly floods that struck the region in October.

Lottery mania hits Spain in the weeks leading up to the Christmas lottery. Relatives, co-workers, groups of friends and club members frequently buy tickets or fractions of them together, often favouring particular "lucky" vendors or numbers.

The most common ticket costs 20 euros, offering up to 400,000 euros in prize money, before taxes.

The lottery tradition dates back to 1812, when Spain was under French occupation during the Napoleonic Wars and the draw aimed to raise funds to fight for independence.

These days, proceeds after operating costs and payouts are given to social causes.