Spain's Lottery Sellers Call for Bigger Christmas Jackpot Due to Inflation
Spain faces a cost-of-living squeeze as rising housing and energy prices reduce disposable income, affecting the hope of winning big in the lottery. Some buyers start purchasing their Christmas lottery tickets as early as spring, sometimes spending considerable amounts.
Requests from Lottery Sellers
Borja Muniz, President of ANAPAL—the association representing 4,100 lottery shops in Spain—urged the government to increase the ticket price for the traditional Christmas draw and raise the top prize, known as the "Fat One," to keep pace with inflation.
"The jackpot hasn't changed in 14 years, while prices have climbed about 26%. Before, you could buy two apartments with it. Now it barely covers one."
ANAPAL proposes increasing the price of a "decimo" (one-tenth of a ticket) from 20 euros to 25 euros and raising the top prize from 400,000 euros to 500,000 euros per winning decimo. This proposal has been submitted to the state-run lottery agency and the Budget Ministry.
The agency organizing the Christmas draw declined to comment on these suggestions.
Financial Challenges for Sellers
Lottery sellers highlight that inflation and increasing costs have reduced their profits. They also seek to increase their commission on Christmas draw sales from 4.5% to 6%, aligning it with commissions from other national lottery draws.
Upcoming Changes in 2025
Spain's Christmas Lottery 2025 will introduce historic changes to the traditional draw scheduled for 22 December, though details were not elaborated.
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