Spaniards have been anticipating the arrival of “El Gordo” or “The Fat One” for weeks. That's the name of the first prize in Spain’s hugely popular national Christmas lottery.

Spain's world-famous "El Gordo" Christmas lottery distributed a record more than €2.7 billion ($2.8 billion) on Sunday, with the lucky winners holding tickets with the number 72,480 in Logroño in La Rioja in northern Spain.

The 22 December annual Christmas lottery began during the Napoleonic wars in 1812 and has continued largely without interruption since then. #EuropeNews

The most coveted prize, El Gordo, was announced as Number 72408, valued at €400,000 per ticket, had been sold in a lottery shop in Logroño.

Spain's world-famous "El Gordo" Christmas lottery organizers began broadcasting the draw from the Teatro Real opera house in Madrid on Sunday morning, with winnings totalling more than €2.7 billion ($2.

Spanish broadcaster RTVE showed the typically four-hourlong event from the Teatro Real opera house in Madrid, in the presence of around 400 spectators, it said. Most of the lottery tickets are sold in Spain but an increasing number of foreigners are participating online.

Players with winning tickets in Spain's huge Christmas lottery draw on Sunday celebrated with sparkling wine, cheers and hugs in a 200-year-old tradition that marks the beginning of the Christmas season.

If you’ve spent time in Spain during winter, you’ll have heard of El Gordo de Navidad, the famous Spanish Christmas lottery. This guide explains what all the excitement is about, and how you can

SPAIN will be holding its breath this Sunday morning as numbers are drawn for the festive lottery El Gordo(the Fat One). It's the world's second-longest

Players with winning tickets in Spain's huge Christmas lottery draw on Sunday (December 22) celebrate a 200-year-old tradition that marks the beginning of the Christmas season. What's next for Canada's Justin Trudeau?