MADRID, 22 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The fall of several balls after removing them from the drum by some of the children of San Ildefonso and El Gordo, the latest in history, has marked the Extraordinary Draw of the 2023 Christmas Lottery.
Thus, the main anecdote this year has been the fall of some of the balls. On one of these occasions, the public present showed their support for the girl from San Ildefonso with applause. In any case, the floor of the Royal Theater is covered with carpet so that these spheres cannot roll. Likewise, in the absence of ‘Gordo’ and the second prize, the bass drum lever got stuck.
With a dedicated audience, after 1:16 p.m. and after chants of “Let the Gordo come out,” Jessica and Francisco, through tears, sang the first prize, 88,008, which distributes four million euros for the series. It is the latest in history, after surpassing the record of 2014, when it left at 1:00 p.m.
Precisely, Perla, the woman who a year ago found out that she had won the El Gordo while she was in the audience at the Teatro Real, has returned to the same place to watch the draw live. The woman has assured, in statements to TVE collected by Europa Press, that with the money she earned she has bought “a little house” and has helped the church. Furthermore, she has specified that what she has left will be used for the study of her children.
Perla also remembered the moment when she realized that her number had been awarded the first prize in the Christmas Raffle. “I was paralyzed. I had no reaction for an instant until my son reacted and saw the number that was ours,” she said.
This 2023, the public has come to the doors of the Teatro Real around 7:30 a.m., where a ‘Don Quixote’, a ‘bishop’ and several groups of friends dressed in colorful costumes have been among the first to enter to witness live the event, which some have already attended on previous occasions.
Thus, in order to secure a seat, dozens of people have spent the night waiting at the doors of the Teatro Real, despite the cold, for which they have taken guards, shifts and a long line.
The now classic ‘bishop of the Lottery’, Juan Manuel López, who has been attending the Draw for eleven years, has been one of the first to enter. In statements to Europa Press, he pointed out that he has remained at the doors of the Royal Theater since last December 15 and that he was hoping that he would get the Fat with ‘00000’, “the number of the Royal House “.
With the same emotion, a ‘Don Quixote’, José Antonio, has entered, accompanied by his ‘Sancho Panza’, Juan Jesús, and a ‘tavern keeper’, Conchi, to “try their luck” and see if they can “knock down the giants.” The three, who are now ‘veterans’, have indicated that they have attended the draw for four years and that this time they have been “battled” in the place for three days.
“I am a comedian, actor, imitator and I have dressed like this to have a good time and win the Grand Prize. Since there are wars, we have to convey good vibes and happiness to people. People like to see me dressed as Sancho, they want to take photos with me,” Juan Jesús highlighted.
For their part, Vicent and Elena, disguised in a one-piece animal outfit, are two of the many young people who have been among the first to enter the draw. They have explained that it all started as something they had yet to do, “a challenge” that they have fulfilled for three years now and have added that they live it with “encouragement” and that “it is very cool”, although with the prizes of 1,000 euros “it is declining.”
Dressed in green jackets with Christmas motifs, Alejandro, Paul and Alberto, are three friends who have been waiting for hours in line, to experience the lottery “from a not very well-known side”, all “at the foot of the canyon”.
“It is the third time we have come and every December 22 we will be here. It is very exciting, you live different experiences. Christmas begins here,” they said.
After the balls fell into the drum, and amidst the joy of the public, who ‘woke up’ to make the wave, at 09:08 the Christmas Raffle began, with the Teatro Real’s entire stalls.
The Extraordinary Draw of the Christmas Lottery of this 2023 has distributed this Friday a total of 2,590 million euros in prizes, which is 70 million more than last year, for which they have been put into circulation, since last 12 July, 185 million tenths, five million more than the previous year.
