The luck of the bald: a lottery office in Sant Boi has distributed eight million
With a third and fourth prize, the town has once again been touched by luck in a Christmas lottery that has forgotten about Catalonia.
Sant Boi de LlobregatThe bald men's luck. Lottery outlet number 5 in Sant Boi de Llobregat, nicknamed "the bald men's outlet," has earned a place on the lottery map through sheer chance. In Monday's Christmas draw, it distributed around eight million euros. Luck struck twice: first, number 90,693 was drawn, the third prize, worth 50,000 euros per ticket: 7.5 million euros were sold over the counter and to customers of a nearby bar. While the celebrations were still in full swing, with the customary champagne pouring, the children of Sant Ildefons sang out one of the fourth prizes, 25,508, a series of which was sold in Sant Boi. Each ticket is worth 20,000 euros.
The allure of baldness has led this lottery outlet to attract more than half of the €12.5 million it has wrested from Catalonia in this Christmas raffle. The owner, Miriam Vázquez, could hardly believe it, because in the year and a half she's been running the business, she already has a respectable track record of big wins: in last year's raffle, she sold the second prize, which brought around €7 million to the town.
Vázquez couldn't hide her satisfaction at being able to spread "joy" among the neighborhood residents and attributed the good fortune "to the bald men." A publicist by profession, last year she came up with a raffle specifically for bald people, an initiative that was so successful that this year they enlisted Raúl, a bald man who lets her rub the tickets against his broad back. In early December, to boost lottery sales, Vázquez organized the Bald Fest, which featured a bald DJ and a barber offering free haircuts. "One woman even shaved her head completely," notes Mila Gabiño, the proud mother of the owner, who came all the way from Cádiz, the family's hometown, to help her daughter at the lottery shop.
Maternal power
Gabiño's presence doesn't go unnoticed. Dressed in a yellow t-shirt to advertise the "bald men's" lottery party, she asserts her "witch" powers to illuminate the family business. "Last year I saw that the second prize would be won, and this year I arrived saying it would be the third," she laughs amidst the commotion orchestrated by the journalists covering the prize celebration.
The corner of Ronda de Sant Ramon where the Gaia lottery office is located—its official name, although it's already known as "the bald men's"—is a huge party. Many neighbors come, drawn by the shouts of joy. Those lucky enough to win a small amount are very excited. Magdalena Cañizares has a tenth of the third prize. "I've won 50,000 euros, I can't believe it," she explains. She hasn't had time to tell her family yet and admits she doesn't know what she'll do. Maybe a trip, a treat. "I'm unemployed, so it'll be fine."
A man has joined the celebration, not caring about the drops of cava spraying from a shaken bottle. He's won 50,000 euros, which will be a little less after taxes, but he's barely fazed. Miguel Ángel, on the other hand, is beaming with joy. He was passing by the lottery office and, seeing the commotion, went over and discovered that the ticket he shares with three lifelong friends has won the third prize. 12,000 euros each. "Not bad, huh?"
With the third prize, luck has changed. The number 90,693 has been widely distributed, and Sant Boi de Llobregat has collected several million euros. The same lottery office that sold the second prize last year was responsible for selling up to 15 series of the third prize this year. A whole series was also sold in El Prat de Llobregat and another in Sant Joan de les Abadesses. Sant Boi also won a share of one of the fourth prizes. The number 25,508 was also sold in this municipality, in Arenys de Mar and in Barcelona, as well as in other parts of Spain. The other fourth prize was drawn this morning. The number 78,477, which paid out €20,000 per ticket, was sold widely and also reached municipalities such as Badalona (where 10 series were sold) and Olot (with one series sold). The lottery office in Olot that sold this fourth prize is the same one that sold the second prize in that same municipality two years ago. The fifth prizes were more widely distributed.
At 10:30, two fifth-prize winning numbers were drawn in quick succession. First, 23112, which appeared in Catalonia with a few series, landed in Sort, Porqueres, and Barcelona. The lucky winners will receive €6,000 for each ticket. The other fifth-prize winning number, 60649, smiled on Montgat and Viladecans. "So far, no one has come to celebrate," explains Jordi, an employee at the lottery office on Gran Via in Barcelona that sold one of these winning tickets. The cava is still chilled in the refrigerator, waiting for a winner to come forward. "Many people prefer not to share it," comments Eli, another employee.
The third fifth-prize winning number, 77715, went mainly to Burgos, Zaragoza, and Alicante. The fourth fifth-prize winning number, 25412, was sold in Málaga and Madrid. And 61366 was sold in Barcelona, Hospitalet, and (again) Madrid. The number 94.273 landed in Huesca, Teruel, and Madrid. The penultimate fifth number, 41.716, again showered Madrid, although Tarragona also managed to secure a few points. The last fifth number drawn, 18.669, landed mostly in Alicante.