With the change in law in Spain which came into effect 1st January 2012, all lottery winnings above 2,500€ are taxed at the rate of 20%. This applies to all the Spanish lottery operators, such as Loterias y Apuestas del Estado, la ONCE, and the Cruz Roja. Winnings below this amount remain tax-free.

The money raised through lottery ticket sales is split on a 70/30 basis. The 70% of the money is returned to players in the form of prizes, and the remaining 30% goes to the State to cover administration expenses and support the Public Treasury and to support social projects.

Yes, they are absolutely fair. The National Lottery is managed by the Spanish Government, which guarantees a totally safe draw, and prizes are paid to claimants immediately.

No. If you are outside Spain then you can buy a lottery entry via the internet.

A special draw is a lottery draw that is tied in with a specific event or special occasion, such as Saint Valentine’s Day. Special draws tend to attract a lot of interest from players, so prize funds are often much bigger than usual. Some special draws, such as El Gordo de Navidad (Christmas fat one) are played internationally. Other examples of special draws are: El Niño (commemorating the birth of Jesus), Niños de San Ildefonso (to raise funds to help Saint Ildefonso School) and Cruz Roja (to support the Red Cross).