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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Zahra Khaliq

World’s biggest El Gordo lottery where Brits can win £2.1 billion - tickets close today

The world’s biggest lottery, El Gordo, which translates to ‘the fat one’ will take place tomorrow in Madrid, offering Brits the chance to win £2.1 billion.

The Christmas draw is held every December and famously turns Brits and Spaniards into millionaires overnight.

If you want to be in with a chance to win a cash prize, you’ll have to be quick, as ticket sales close at 4pm UK time today.

This year, 180 million tickets are on offer and and the biggest winners can take home as much as £3.5million.

Millions will tune in globally to watch the draw live on TV on Thursday December 22.

Spain's world-famous lottery is back and offering billions in cash prizes (Getty Images)

I’m British - Can I still take part in El Gordo?

Despite it being a Spanish lottery, Brits can take part in, and win, the El Gordo lottery.

All you need to do is visit the El Gordo website and purchase a ticket, which costs £33.

Expats in Spain can also get their hands on a ticket by visiting a local shop.

Brits will have until 4pm UK time today, December 21, to buy their tickets.

Millions across the globe will tune in to watch the live draw (Getty Images)

On its official website, El Gordo explains: "It is the same as if you came to Spain as a tourist and buy your tickets in any lottery shop.

"In fact, we have customers in more than 140 countries playing with us."

When is the prize draw?

The El Gordo prize draw is held annually on December 22, which means this year's lottery will take place tomorrow.

The draw will see the biggest prize, known as 'El Gordo', handed to lucky winners who have the five winning numbers.

A standard ticket costs 20 euros - and Spaniards typically chip in and buy shares in several tickets with friends, family and colleagues.

This year's prize pot is worth a staggering £2.1billion (JUAN CARLOS HIDALGO/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

The lottery is designed to help as many people as possible win a cash prize, or at least break even with cash prizes.

Long queues form outside lottery booths in Spain weeks ahead of the draw and millions tune in every year to watch the live draw to see if they've won anything.

How is El Gordo drawn?

The event is televised live from Madrid's Teatro Real Opera House, where prize ticket numbers are sung out by pupils of Madrid's San Ildefonso School.

Reports say there is a 1/100,000 chance of winning a cash prize in the El Gordo lottery.

Comparing this with the 180 million tickets sold so far this year, Brits are in with a good chance of winning some money.

The prize ticket numbers are sung out by school pupils (JUAN CARLOS HIDALGO/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

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