Hurting Spaniards celebrate Christmas lottery wins
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People celebrate after winning the first prize of Spain's Christmas lottery named "El Gordo" (Fat One) in Granen, in Alaquas, near Valencia on Dec 22, 2012. Winners of Spain's cherished Christmas lottery - the world's richest - celebrated on Saturday in more than a dozen locations where lucky tickets were sold, a moment of uplift for a country enduring another brutal year of economic hardship. -- PHOTO: AFP
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A man prepares the draw of Spain's Christmas lottery named named "El Gordo" (Fat One) in Madrid on Dec 22, 2012. Winners of Spain's cherished Christmas lottery - the world's richest - celebrated on Saturday in more than a dozen locations where lucky tickets were sold, a moment of uplift for a country enduring another brutal year of economic hardship. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Pupils of Madrid's Saint Ildefonso School sing out the number of the top prize of Spain's Christmas lottery, known as 'El Gordo' or 'The Fat One', as they hold lottery balls, in Madrid on Saturday, Dec 22, 2012. Winners of Spain's cherished Christmas lottery - the world's richest - celebrated on Saturday in more than a dozen locations where lucky tickets were sold, a moment of uplift for a country enduring another brutal year of economic hardship. -- PHOTO: AP
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A lottery enthusiast dressed in costume poses as she attends the draw for the world's richest lottery, known as El Gordo or "the fat one", in Madrid on Dec 22, 2012. Winners of Spain's cherished Christmas lottery - the world's richest - celebrated on Saturday in more than a dozen locations where lucky tickets were sold, a moment of uplift for a country enduring another brutal year of economic hardship. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Lottery enthusiasts dressed in costumes attend the draw for the world's richest lottery, known as El Gordo or "the fat one", in Madrid on Dec 22, 2012. Winners of Spain's cherished Christmas lottery - the world's richest - celebrated on Saturday in more than a dozen locations where lucky tickets were sold, a moment of uplift for a country enduring another brutal year of economic hardship. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Javier (centre), and his wife Silvia, owners of one of the lottery shops that sold the winning number of 'El Gordo', celebrate at their lottery shop in Alcala de Henares, near Madrid on Dec 22, 2012. Winners of Spain's cherished Christmas lottery - the world's richest - celebrated on Saturday in more than a dozen locations where lucky tickets were sold, a moment of uplift for a country enduring another brutal year of economic hardship. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Esther (right), employee of one of the lottery shops that sold the winning number of 'El Gordo', celebrates with women at her lottery shop in Alcala de Henares, near Madrid on Dec 22, 2012. Winners of Spain's cherished Christmas lottery - the world's richest - celebrated on Saturday in more than a dozen locations where lucky tickets were sold, a moment of uplift for a country enduring another brutal year of economic hardship. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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A lottery seller who sold the winning ticket of Spain's Christmas lottery hangs a placard reading the winning number 76058 on her shop windowcase in Madrid, on Dec 22, 2012. Winners of Spain's cherished Christmas lottery - the world's richest - celebrated on Saturday in more than a dozen locations where lucky tickets were sold, a moment of uplift for a country enduring another brutal year of economic hardship. -- PHOTO: AFP
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People dressed in costumes arrive to watch the Spain's Christmas lottery draw known as "El Gordo" or "The Fat One" in Madrid on Saturday, Dec 22, 2012. Winners of Spain's cherished Christmas lottery - the world's richest - celebrated on Saturday in more than a dozen locations where lucky tickets were sold, a moment of uplift for a country enduring another brutal year of economic hardship. -- PHOTO: AP
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A lottery enthusiast dressed in costume attends the draw for the world's richest lottery, known as El Gordo or "the fat one", in Madrid on Dec 22, 2012. Winners of Spain's cherished Christmas lottery - the world's richest - celebrated on Saturday in more than a dozen locations where lucky tickets were sold, a moment of uplift for a country enduring another brutal year of economic hardship. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Maria Antonia poses in downtown Madrid where she sells tickets for Spain's Christmas Lottery "El Gordo" on Dec 20, 2012. Winners of Spain's cherished Christmas lottery - the world's richest - celebrated on Saturday in more than a dozen locations where lucky tickets were sold, a moment of uplift for a country enduring another brutal year of economic hardship. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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People queue outside the famous lottery's office Dona Manolita to buy the "Fat One" (el Gordo) lottery tickets in the centre of Madrid on Dec 18, 2012. Winners of Spain's cherished Christmas lottery - the world's richest - celebrated on Saturday in more than a dozen locations where lucky tickets were sold, a moment of uplift for a country enduring another brutal year of economic hardship. -- PHOTO: AFP
People celebrate after winning the first prize of Spain's Christmas lottery named "El Gordo" (Fat One) in Granen, in Alaquas, near Valencia on Dec 22, 2012. Winners of Spain's cherished Christmas lottery - the world's richest - celebrated on Saturday in more than a dozen locations where lucky tickets were sold, a moment of uplift for a country enduring another brutal year of economic hardship. -- PHOTO: AFP
A man prepares the draw of Spain's Christmas lottery named named "El Gordo" (Fat One) in Madrid on Dec 22, 2012. Winners of Spain's cherished Christmas lottery - the world's richest - celebrated on Saturday in more than a dozen locations where lucky tickets were sold, a moment of uplift for a country enduring another brutal year of economic hardship. -- PHOTO: AFP
Pupils of Madrid's Saint Ildefonso School sing out the number of the top prize of Spain's Christmas lottery, known as 'El Gordo' or 'The Fat One', as they hold lottery balls, in Madrid on Saturday, Dec 22, 2012. Winners of Spain's cherished Christmas lottery - the world's richest - celebrated on Saturday in more than a dozen locations where lucky tickets were sold, a moment of uplift for a country enduring another brutal year of economic hardship. -- PHOTO: AP
A lottery enthusiast dressed in costume poses as she attends the draw for the world's richest lottery, known as El Gordo or "the fat one", in Madrid on Dec 22, 2012. Winners of Spain's cherished Christmas lottery - the world's richest - celebrated on Saturday in more than a dozen locations where lucky tickets were sold, a moment of uplift for a country enduring another brutal year of economic hardship. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Lottery enthusiasts dressed in costumes attend the draw for the world's richest lottery, known as El Gordo or "the fat one", in Madrid on Dec 22, 2012. Winners of Spain's cherished Christmas lottery - the world's richest - celebrated on Saturday in more than a dozen locations where lucky tickets were sold, a moment of uplift for a country enduring another brutal year of economic hardship. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Javier (centre), and his wife Silvia, owners of one of the lottery shops that sold the winning number of 'El Gordo', celebrate at their lottery shop in Alcala de Henares, near Madrid on Dec 22, 2012. Winners of Spain's cherished Christmas lottery - the world's richest - celebrated on Saturday in more than a dozen locations where lucky tickets were sold, a moment of uplift for a country enduring another brutal year of economic hardship. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Esther (right), employee of one of the lottery shops that sold the winning number of 'El Gordo', celebrates with women at her lottery shop in Alcala de Henares, near Madrid on Dec 22, 2012. Winners of Spain's cherished Christmas lottery - the world's richest - celebrated on Saturday in more than a dozen locations where lucky tickets were sold, a moment of uplift for a country enduring another brutal year of economic hardship. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
A lottery seller who sold the winning ticket of Spain's Christmas lottery hangs a placard reading the winning number 76058 on her shop windowcase in Madrid, on Dec 22, 2012. Winners of Spain's cherished Christmas lottery - the world's richest - celebrated on Saturday in more than a dozen locations where lucky tickets were sold, a moment of uplift for a country enduring another brutal year of economic hardship. -- PHOTO: AFP
People dressed in costumes arrive to watch the Spain's Christmas lottery draw known as "El Gordo" or "The Fat One" in Madrid on Saturday, Dec 22, 2012. Winners of Spain's cherished Christmas lottery - the world's richest - celebrated on Saturday in more than a dozen locations where lucky tickets were sold, a moment of uplift for a country enduring another brutal year of economic hardship. -- PHOTO: AP
A lottery enthusiast dressed in costume attends the draw for the world's richest lottery, known as El Gordo or "the fat one", in Madrid on Dec 22, 2012. Winners of Spain's cherished Christmas lottery - the world's richest - celebrated on Saturday in more than a dozen locations where lucky tickets were sold, a moment of uplift for a country enduring another brutal year of economic hardship. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Maria Antonia poses in downtown Madrid where she sells tickets for Spain's Christmas Lottery "El Gordo" on Dec 20, 2012. Winners of Spain's cherished Christmas lottery - the world's richest - celebrated on Saturday in more than a dozen locations where lucky tickets were sold, a moment of uplift for a country enduring another brutal year of economic hardship. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
People queue outside the famous lottery's office Dona Manolita to buy the "Fat One" (el Gordo) lottery tickets in the centre of Madrid on Dec 18, 2012. Winners of Spain's cherished Christmas lottery - the world's richest - celebrated on Saturday in more than a dozen locations where lucky tickets were sold, a moment of uplift for a country enduring another brutal year of economic hardship. -- PHOTO: AFP
MADRID (AP) - Winners of Spain's cherished Christmas lottery - the world's richest - celebrated on Saturday in more than a dozen locations where lucky tickets were sold, a moment of uplift for a country enduring another brutal year of economic hardship.
Initial reports said there were winners of the maximum prize of 400,000 euros (S$644,000) in 15 towns or cities.
In Madrid, two lottery outlet workers who sold a top-prize tickets celebrated with sparkling wine as curious neighbours gathered. The fortunate winner had yet to make an appearance.
The lottery sprinkled a treasure chest of 2.5 billion euros in prize money around the country.
