El Niño Lottery 2026: find out all the details to prepare for the draw
This year, 770 million euros are at stake, distributed across 36,818 prizes.
The first chance to win the lottery in 2026 is just around the corner. It arrives, as every year, with the El Niño Lottery draw. This year, €770 million is up for grabs, distributed across 36,818 prizes. In fact, the El Niño Lottery is the one that awards the most prizes, which are distributed as follows: the top prize winner receives €200,000; the second-place winner receives €75,000. €, and in the third with €25,000. Apart from these rewards, there are also special draws with smaller prizes. If you participate, save this news: here you can check if your number has won a prize when the draw takes place.
Last year, luck smiled in León, where number 78,908, the winner of the first prize, was sold. The second and third prizes were distributed in various parts of Catalonia, and the El Niño lottery brought great joy to some residents of the towns most affected by the DANA storm. In Aldaia, a lottery outlet that was devastated by the floods distributed €1,250,000 corresponding to five series of the third prize. The winning number for this third prize had also been sold in 15 other devastated towns, such as Paiporta and Picassent.
What day and time will the draw take place?
On Tuesday, January 6, 2026, all those who have not won anything in the Christmas Lottery or the New Year's Lottery can still start the new year off on the right foot: at 12 noon the El Niño Lottery will be held at the headquarters of Loterías y Apuestas del Estado (State Lotteries and Betting).
The most likely prizes
The prizes you're most likely to win in the El Niño Lottery are those related to the draws and endings. If the last two or three digits of your ticket match the last two digits of the winning number, you'll win €100. And if the last two digits match those of the second winning number, you'll win €100 as well.
In addition, since the Three Kings Lottery doesn't have fourth or fifth prizes, there are additional prizes available. extractions. First, two four-digit numbers are drawn: each number ending with these four digits wins €3,500 per ticket (€350 per tenth share). Fourteen three-digit numbers are also drawn: numbers matching this ending win €1,000 per ticket (€100 per tenth share). Finally, five two-digit numbers are drawn, with a prize of €400 per ticket (€40 per tenth share).
The luckiest and least lucky cities in history
Since the creation of the El Niño Extraordinary Lottery Draw in 1941, Madrid has been the region in Spain where the top prize has landed most often, with 40 wins. However, some provinces have yet to win. These include Cáceres, Cuenca, Huesca, and Guadalajara, as well as Ceuta.
The most talked-about anecdote of the draw
So many years of the lottery have resulted in many stories surrounding it. For example, in 1977, a resident of Madrid won a prize of 100,000 pesetas with a share. At first, he was overjoyed, but when he went to collect the ticket he had to hand in to the lottery office, he saw that a mouse had eaten a large part of it. Although the man had taken great care to keep the ticket safe, the mice's hunger ultimately prevented him from receiving his winnings.
