With the very low possibility of a Christmas Lottery ticket being awarded 'El Gordo', the most desired prize of the entire draw, It is normal to stop believing statistics and think of more strategies that, although we know they do not work, at least console us.. This year the first prize will distribute 400,000 euros to the tenth, that is, about four million euros to the series.
Although the probability is the same for some ballots as for others, the truth is that There are certain regions in Spain that seem 'jinxed', since almost never in history have they obtained the coveted 'Gordo'. The Christmas Lottery draw has been held in Spain for more than two hundred years, since December 1812, and today it is a deeply rooted tradition.
Even those who do not usually participate throughout the year, when these dates come, the majority of the population gets excited and ends up buying some entry for the raffle. To try to increase the few possibilities, there are those who resort to all kinds of the most diverse methods: always buy the same number, rub it on a bald spot, buy it from an administration that has already distributed prizes before…
The truth is that The only way to slightly increase 'luck' is to buy more tenths with different numbersbecause chance can care little or nothing about the alopecic skull of our friend or family member. One might then wonder why, as can be seen, 'El Gordo' falls more frequently in some cities than in others.
The answer is quite simple: by pure sales volume. The famous administration of Doña Manolita dispatches about 70 million tenths every yearmore than a third of the entire national group. That it distributes so many first prizes is therefore due to pure mathematical logic, and not some kind of superficial esotericism.
The most 'unlucky' places in Spain: 'El Gordo' has never played here nor is it expected
Applying this knowledge in the opposite direction, we see how this tendency tends to produce feedback: If people do not buy in administrations where there are few prizes, the probability that they will distribute one will decrease. That is why In some provincial capitals with few inhabitants 'El Gordo' has practically never fallen in history of the Christmas Lottery Draw.
Toledo, Gerona and Jaén were among the cities on this 'black list', but precisely in last year's edition all three managed to distribute tenths winning the first prize. And all thanks to the number 88,008, which many consider an 'ugly' number due to its unusual combination of digits. So, The provincial capitals most marked as 'jinxes' are two.
1. Avila
According to the latest 2023 data from the INE (National Statistics Institute), the capital of Avila had a population of 57,741 inhabitants. Currently, the city has seven Lottery administrations, but In the more than two centuries of history of the draw, 'El Gordo' has not fallen even once. The local media Tribuna Ávila announced this week that All the provinces of Castilla y León, paradoxically, exceeded the national average of money consigned in Lottery shares.
Exactly one year ago, in the 2023 draw, the capital of Avila once again avoided 'El Gordo'. It fell in Poyales del Hoyo, a town with less than 500 inhabitants. The La Cigarrera tobacconist, which also administers the Christmas Lottery, distributed four first-prize tickets, with a total of 1.6 million euros.
2. Tarragona
Although in 2023 the Christmas Lottery distributed tenths awarded with 'El Gordo' in the province of Tarragona, fell in Reus and Horta de Sant Joan, but completely ignored the Tarragona capital. What could have been an edition of the draw that crossed out all the cities from the 'black list', ended up leaving two of them with honey on their lips.
According to INE data from January 1, 2023, The city of Tarragona has a population of 138,262 inhabitants. This capital has twice as many lottery administrations among its streets as Ávila, 14, but is still equally unable to get a first prize. For 2024, both cities will seek to get off the fateful list with the next draw on December 22.
