Luck smiles in Madrid: the gordo (79.432) falls in a mysterious entity

Madrid / BarcelonaNeighbors queuing inside the butcher shop while others are already passing by with shopping bags. Some defy the freezing cold of this Monday in Madrid and go out for a walk. And only a few, very few, go specifically to number 8 of Ricardo Ortiz Street, in the Madrid neighborhood of La Elipa in Ciudad Lineal, to see who the lucky person was who took home a few cents of the Christmas lottery jackpot. Because this year luck has smiled on the Spanish capital: not only has the first prize fallen entirely (except for a pinch in Leon), but it has also taken the second prize of the draw.

Most pedestrians watching the scene at administration 246, the one that sold this year's jackpot, leave with the same bad luck they have had this year with the lottery, or at least with the first prize. "How boring!", laments Pilar, a lifelong resident of the neighborhood, who this year had not bought any lottery number and who has sold up to 16 series of the number 79,432.

The truth, however, is that this Monday the lucky winners of the Christmas jackpot remained a mystery. For that reason, the atmosphere in front of the lottery administration of this peripheral neighborhood of Madrid –"we are a working-class neighborhood", says Pilar– was marked by the contrast between the normality of the neighbors, most of whom have seen the prize pass them by, and the excitement of the dozen media outlets that have gathered at the doors of the premises.

The first prize of the extraordinary Christmas lottery was drawn 15 minutes before 11 o'clock and will fill the pockets of the lucky winners with 400,000 euros per tenth. Almost the entire number 79,432 went to a "cultural entity dedicated to art" in the Embajadores neighborhood, in the center of Madrid, explains Esther Lancha, the manager of the administration office. Early in the morning, she asked them if she could reveal their name to the press, but she ended up not doing so. For a while, it was rumored that it could be Isegoría, an independent association "for analysis and critical reflection for a more democratic, fair, and egalitarian society." But in the end, it was ruled out.

"The customer came and told me he wanted a 2 and I gave him that number," explains Lancha about the buyers, who want to remain anonymous. She gave them 16 series of the number 79,432, which the entity later sold in shares of 4 euros. "Surely it is very well distributed," affirms the manager of the establishment. The prize means 20,000 euros for every euro played. The few numbers that they did not sell from the entity were returned, and she has sold them herself over these last few days at the counter.

Although she regrets that the prize passed by her neighborhood, Lancha cannot hide her euphoria over what it means to have distributed the jackpot for the first time since her family has run the administration, almost 40 years ago, and having put on the t-shirt with the first prize awarded to them by the Lottery delegation. Her parents took charge of the administration when she was 5 years old. "I have breathed this business in since I was a child," she recalls, moved. Since they retired, she has been in charge. A familiarity that will carry over to the celebration: "We planned to eat at home, all together, and we will do it that way," she explains.

The draw started at 9 a.m. and a few minutes later the Spanish capital had already tasted good luck. The second prize, 70,048, came out of the drum at 9:21 and also went directly to Madrid: in this case, the winners will take home 125,000 euros for every tenth they have in their wallet. "Look, Pepa! If you want to be on TV today is your day," says Pilar to a neighbor passing by the administration office. Luck, in the end, is seen by each person wherever they want.

The second prize, also in Madrid

With the third, luck has changed. The 90,693 has been widely distributed, and Sant Boi de Llobregat has collected several millions. The same administration that distributed the second prize last year has been in charge of selling up to 15 series of the third this year. A whole series has also been sold in El Prat de Llobregat and another in Sant Joan de les Abadesses.

Sant Boi has also scratched a part of one of the fourth prizes. The 25,508 has also fallen in this municipality, in Arenys de Mar and in Barcelona, aside from other points in the State. The other fourth prize came out in the morning. The 78,477, which has distributed 20,000 euros for each tenth, has been sold in a very distributed way and has also splashed municipalities like Badalona (where 10 series had been sold) and Olot (with one series sold). The Olot administration that sold this fourth prize is the same one that two years ago distributed the second prize in that same municipality.

The fifths, more distributed

At half past ten, two fifth prizes were drawn in quick succession. First, the 23.112, which sprinkled some series across Catalonia, hitting Sort, Porqueres, and Barcelona. The lucky winners will receive 6,000 euros for each tenth. The other fifth, the 60.649, smiled upon Montgat and Viladecans. "For the moment, nobody has come to celebrate," explains Jordi, a worker at the lottery administration on Gran Via in Barcelona that distributed one of these prizes. The cava remains cold in the fridge, waiting for a winner to come by. "Many people prefer not to share it," comments Eli, also a worker.

The third fifth, the 77.715, ended up mostly in Burgos, Zaragoza, and Alicante. The fourth fifth, the 25.412, in Malaga and Madrid. The 61.366 in Barcelona, Hospitalet, and (once again) Madrid. The 94.273 ended up in Huesca, Teruel, and Madrid. The penultimate fifth, the 41.716, once again showered Madrid, although Tarragona also managed to grab a series. The last fifth to be drawn, the 18.669, ended up mostly in Alicante.