A heated dispute has erupted in the small village of Villamanín (León province) over the grand prize of the El Gordo Christmas lottery. The local holiday organizing committee, made up mostly of young residents, mistakenly sold more lottery shares than the number of winning tickets they had actually purchased. As a result, there were more winning receipts in the community than there were real tickets, with the total value of the ‘extra’ winnings reaching 4 million euros.
On Friday evening, nearly all the lottery participants—about a hundred people—gathered at the community center. The agenda had just one item: how to fairly distribute the prize money among everyone who had bought shares. One proposal suggested cutting each share by 10% so everyone would receive a reduced but real payout. The maximum value per share was 80,000 euros, but after recalculation, that sum dropped significantly.
Disagreements and emotions running high
However, not everyone agreed with the compromise. Even if the committee pooled their own ticket and personal winnings into the pot, only half of the claimed four million could be covered. In the end, each person would receive about 2,400 euros instead of the tens of thousands they expected. Some attendees openly voiced distrust of the committee, saying they doubted the calculations and would take legal action if the full amount was not paid out.
At the same time, some residents expressed sympathy for the organizers. Many pointed out that the commission members are young people, some of them minors, and their mistake was not intentional. They emphasized that the youths had already offered to give up their winnings for the common good, and that nothing more should be demanded of them.
A Crisis in a Small Community
The discussion lasted four hours and was marked by shouting, tears, and even panic attacks. Several young organizers couldn’t handle the stress: one of them felt sick and even vomited, that’s how difficult the evening was. In a village of fewer than a hundred residents, the joy of winning quickly turned into division: some support the commission, while others accuse it of deceit and demand full transparency.
The calmest among them reminded everyone that just yesterday, no one expected such a stroke of luck, and if it hadn’t been for the commission’s initiative, there would have been no prize at all. They called for compromise and mutual support to avoid turning a celebration into a prolonged conflict.
Official Position
The festival organizing committee released an official statement acknowledging a calculation mistake in the allocation of shares and apologizing to those affected. The document stressed there was no fraud, and all actions were the result of inexperience rather than ill intent. The organizers noted that most residents supported them and understood the situation.
The statement also mentions that the committee is prepared to forgo its winnings so that as many people as possible can receive payments. Work is currently underway on a legally compliant agreement that will help resolve the dispute and avoid court proceedings. The decision will be made under judicial supervision to ensure transparency and due process.
Seeking justice
Given the circumstances, most Villamanín residents lean toward sharing the prize fairly, even if it means losing part of the amount. The main goal is to keep the peace in the village and prevent one mistake from ruining relationships between neighbors. Many say that supporting each other and being willing to compromise matters more than money, especially in such a small community.
Not everyone has agreed to the proposed solution yet, but negotiations are ongoing. Residents hope to find a compromise that will satisfy everyone and preserve the atmosphere of trust and mutual support, despite the difficulties that have arisen.
