Spain’s El Gordo Christmas lottery paid out €2.7 billion. In Villamanín, locals won €35 million, but a registration oversight left €4 million unclaimable, leading to a townwide compromise.

Spain’s Christmas lottery is called El Gordo, which translates to “The Fat One.” Every year it draws national attention as it distributes a total payout measured in billions. This year, El Gordo awarded €2.7 billion (US$2.8 billion) across Spain.

In the small village of Villamanín, tucked into the mountains of León province and home to fewer than 1,000 residents, the drawing brought a major win: townsfolk collectively landed €35 million.

But part of the prize became complicated when a registration oversight meant that €4 million of the winnings could not be claimed.

A small town system built around tradition

Villamanín is isolated and quiet, especially in the colder months when the population can drop to around 100 residents. To help keep local celebrations running, the village has a fiesta committee of roughly a dozen people aged 18 to 25 who oversee festivals and make sure there is funding for community events.

One way the committee raises money is by selling shares of the Christmas lottery to locals, nearby residents, and visitors. According to Diario de León, the committee sold 450 official shares at €5 each, keeping €1 from each sale to support annual fiesta funding.

The oversight: 50 shares were not registered

The issue arose when the committee did not register 50 of the shares with the lottery office after one member left them at home. Buyers must have all shares registered with the lottery administration before the drawing in order to have the right to claim prizes.

When the winning number 79432 was announced, those unregistered shares could not be used to claim winnings. As a result, affected ticketholders collectively missed out on about €4 million (US$4.7 million).

A community meeting and a workable compromise

The committee met with residents, and some attendees raised concerns and questioned whether the organizers had acted improperly. A committee member, as reported by El País, responded emotionally:

“We have stolen nothing. Tonight, we have lost friends.”

After more than three hours of discussion, the town reached a compromise designed to help people receive payment without taking a costly legal route.

Organizers said there was no ill intent, describing it as a genuine management mistake. Two options were discussed: pursue the full prize through the courts, or have all winners agree to accept a 10% reduction while the organizers would receive nothing.

The second option prevailed. Residents felt the legal route could bring significant personal financial costs, potentially forcing people into loans or mortgages, and adding further risk for those involved. Instead, winners agreed to accept the 10% reduction.

In practical terms, winners who would have received about €80,000 are accepting closer to €66,500 (US$78,216), a difference of around €6,000 (US$7,057). Committee members agreed to forgo their winnings to help reduce the gap, totaling about €2 million (US$2.35 million).

“It is the only solution if we want to get paid,” a meeting attendee told Diario de León.

Claim deadline and the mayor’s hope

Winners of El Gordo prizes have three months from the draw date to claim prizes.

Villamanín mayor Álvaro Barriales told the local paper he hopes the situation can be resolved without harming relationships in the town:

“I only hope that it is fixed. This is a very united town, and I would not like this to divide and confront the neighbors as is happening.”