Spain lotteries

The Spanish National Lottery According to the Spanish State Lottery, non-Spaniards can participate in the lottery and claim prizes just the same as Spanish citizens.

The only restriction is that any prize winnings must stay within Spain or you face paying taxes on the amount won upon entering another country.

Lottery tickets can be purchased at any of the local state lottery shops which are called Loterias y Apuestas del Estado. Marked by their blue colour, the shops offer four different games that run throughout the week. La Loteria Nacional is played every Thursday and Saturday; the Bonoloto, which is drawn every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday; la Primitiva, which is drawn every Thursday and Saturday and the large jackpot, El Gordo de la Primitiva, which is drawn every Sunday.

The price of tickets varies depending on the game played. The Bonoloto is 50 cents a bet, the Primitiva is 1ˆ and El Gordo de la Primitiva is 1.50ˆ. Tickets can be filled out by marking 6 numbers or by buying a computer drawn ticket. For the national lottery there are a fixed number of digits on a ticket which is known as a decimo, or the tenth part of a whole lottery ticket. Prizes are won when there are a minimum of three winning numbers out of a maximum of six.

For the national lottery if the last two numbers are the same as the big prize you will win something and if only the last number is the same you will get your money back. Winning tickets can be redeemed at any of the lottery shops. As it is a state-run lottery, there are no taxes payable on winnings.

The Organizacion Nacional de Ciegos Espanoles (Spanish National Blind Organisation), also runs a regular lottery. Tickets are sold at green kiosks and in the street. Non-residents can also play this lottery which is a daily game of five digits and a series of three with a special coupon for larger jackpots on Friday and Sunday. Tickets can be bought for 1.50ˆ each and 2.00ˆ for tickets for the Friday and Sunday draws. On the first Friday and Sunday of every month there is a special coupon that costs 2.50ˆ for the monthly large jackpot.

Prizes begin when one to five numbers (with the series or not) match up with prizes ranging from 2.50ˆ (when only the last digit matches), to 300,000ˆ (when the five digits and the series match). While smaller prizes can be claimed at the kiosks, larger prizes must be claimed at the Banco de Espana. Tickets can be checked with the street sellers, at the kiosks and by watching Antenna 3 TV after the news every evening.