Fortune has once again smiled on a participant of Spain’s oldest lottery. This time, luck struck the small town of Melenara in the province of Las Palmas, where one of the tickets purchased brought its owner a second-category prize. The winnings totaled an impressive €114,987. Without a doubt, this news has become the main event for the town, which has fewer than four thousand residents.
The draw, held on Monday, did not produce a jackpot winner, so the prize pool continues its rapid growth. No one was able to guess the coveted combination of six numbers plus the ‘reintegro’ number. As a result, the accumulated prize rolls over to the next drawing, and now more than €22.5 million is up for grabs. This is boosting excitement about the lottery across the country, as everyone hopes to become the next millionaire. This time the winning numbers were 13, 23, 24, 38, 42, and 45. The complementary number was 25, and the “reintegro” number was 06.
La Primitiva is rightfully considered one of the oldest lotteries in the world, with a history dating back to the 18th century. The first draw was held on December 10, 1763, during the reign of King Carlos III. The initiative came from the Marquis de Esquilache, the finance minister, who sought to replenish the state treasury without imposing new taxes on the people. Over its long history, the lottery has undergone changes and even ceased to exist for a time. It returned in the format familiar to modern Spaniards only in 1985, and has remained popular ever since.
The rules for participating in the draw are quite simple. To try their luck, players need to choose six numbers between 1 and 49. Draws are held regularly several times a week: on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. In addition to the main combination, each draw includes an additional “complementario” ball, which increases the prize for those who guess five main numbers, and the “reintegro,” which allows players to get a ticket refund. For those looking to increase their chances of winning, there is an extra game called “Joker.” For just one euro, a random seven-digit number is assigned to the ticket, and if it matches the winning number, the lucky player receives a prize of one million euros.
