The long-awaited day has arrived in Spain — December 22, when the biggest and most beloved lottery of the year takes place. The Christmas Lottery in 2025 surprised participants with several innovations. This year, organizers increased the number of series to 198, setting an all-time record. The decision comes in response to growing demand: now, everyone has a chance to buy that coveted ticket.
Each series includes 100,000 tickets, and the total number of prizes this year reached 30,301,920. The overall prize pool amounts to €3.96 billion, with €2.772 billion allocated for payouts to winners. Each ticket represents €14 million in prize money within its series.
Prize amounts
The top prize, known as El Gordo, awards the holder of the winning ticket €400,000. For every euro invested, the participant receives €20,000. The second most significant prize is €125,000 per ticket, or €6,250 for each euro bet. The third prize is €50,000, equivalent to €2,500 for each euro.
There are two fourth prizes of €20,000 per ticket, and eight fifth prizes of €6,000 each. In addition, there are thousands of consolation payouts: 1,794 tickets receive €100 each (pedrea), and extra amounts are awarded for matching the last digits or hundreds with the winning numbers. Tickets with numbers immediately before or after the main prizes are also eligible for payouts ranging from €960 to €2,000.
Lottery winnings taxation
Winners should keep taxes in mind. All prizes up to €40,000 are tax-free. If the winnings exceed this threshold, tax is charged only on the difference. The tax rate is 20%. For example, if you win €100,000, tax will be assessed on €60,000, so you’ll receive €88,000 after tax.
Taxes are withheld automatically—the lottery organizer handles this process. As a result, recipients get their winnings net of taxes if the amount exceeds the specified limit.
Price discussion
This year, the issue of ticket prices and prize amounts has resurfaced. The National Association of Lottery Kiosks (Anapal) appealed to the government with a proposal to raise the ticket price from €20 to €25. According to them, this would also allow the main prize to be increased from €400,000 to €500,000 and adjust other payouts to account for inflation.
The organization notes that ticket prices have not changed in 23 years, despite rising costs and economic shifts. The possibility of a price increase remains open, and no decision has been made yet.
Record numbers
The increase in the number of series and the prize fund in 2025 was a response to the unprecedented interest in the Christmas Lottery. Thanks to these changes, the number of lucky winners has also grown. Organizers emphasize that the main goal is to make participation accessible to everyone and to preserve the tradition that unites millions of Spaniards ahead of the holidays.
