Spain's Lottery Sellers Call for Bigger Christmas Jackpot
Spain is facing a cost-of-living squeeze as housing and energy prices rise, reducing disposable income and affecting the dream of winning big in the lottery. Lottery sellers say these economic pressures have impacted their business and the prizes offered.
Calls to Increase Lottery Ticket Price and Jackpot
Borja Muniz, President of ANAPAL, the association representing 4,100 lottery shops across Spain, has urged the government to raise the price of the traditional Christmas lottery ticket, known as a "decimo," from 20 euros to 25 euros. He emphasized that the top prize, nicknamed the "Fat One," has remained unchanged for 14 years despite inflation pushing prices up about 26%.
"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 top prize from 400,000 euros to 500,000 euros per winning decimo to better reflect current inflation. Their proposal has been submitted to the state lottery agency and the Budget Ministry, though the lottery agency declined to comment on the matter.
Impact on Lottery Sellers' Earnings
Lottery sellers also report that inflation and rising costs have lowered their profits. They request raising their commission on Christmas lottery sales from 4.5% to 6%, aligning it with commissions from other national lottery draws.
Upcoming Changes for Christmas Lottery 2025
The Spain Christmas Lottery draw scheduled for 22 December 2025 will introduce historic changes, though details have not been specified.
Some players start buying their Christmas tickets as early as spring, sometimes spending substantial amounts.
Author's summary: Spain's lottery sellers push to raise ticket prices and jackpot to counter inflation’s impact, aiming to restore prize value and improve their earnings amid rising costs.