"El Gordo" 2011 Tickets Go On Sale

ZAANDAM, Netherlands, October 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

ELG helps lottery players worldwide have a chance at €2.5 Billion prize pool

Tickets are now on sale for the annual "El Gordo" - The Fat One - the world's oldest and most famous national lottery game, which will be drawn in Madrid on 22^nd December 2011. Lottery fans outside Spain can now get their hands on "El Gordo" tickets at European Lottery Guild (ELG), giving them a chance to share in the year's most exciting lottery event.

This year's "El Gordo" is expected to be one of the biggest ever, providing a welcome distraction from Spain's economic woes and giving players hope of a festive boost to their bank balance. The total prize pool is expected to reach €2.5 billion, a hugely impressive number and the world's largest ever prize pool for a single game.

"Lottery fans love 'El Gordo' because it offers the golden combination of massive prizes and excellent odds of winning," says Elisabeth Moore, customer relations manager at ELG. "The fact that it only happens once a year, combined with the draw date just three days before Christmas, only adds to the sense of excitement and anticipation."

"El Gordo" has been running for nearly 200 years and it is arguably the world's most famous lottery game, with an estimated 98 percent of eligible Spaniards taking part. Lottery kiosks in major Spanish cities are often swamped as people fight to buy their tickets, which is why sales now begin weeks before the big day.

"The draw is a spectacle in itself, taking more than three hours to pick out all of the winning numbers, and it's one of the biggest broadcasting events in Spain," added Moore. "Once it's over, people then pour out onto the streets to celebrate their winnings or to congratulate friends and neighbours who have been lucky."

Thanks to its fantastic structure, "El Gordo" allows players to win up to 7 times on a single ticket. Unlike other lotteries where players choose their numbers, in "El Gordo," players purchase a ticket with a pre-printed number on it from 00000 to 99999. There are 180 series of each number, and once they're sold out, there are no more chances to participate.

"The popularity of 'El Gordo' cannot be overstated," said Moore. "Tickets sell out extremely fast. People around the world who want to play this game need to get their tickets now!"

Thanks to European Lottery Guild, lottery fans living outside Spain will still have a chance to share in this exciting lottery event. With the jackpot prize pool alone expected to reach €720 million, some people are going to be having a very good new year!

Note to Editors:

European Lottery Guild (ELG), established in 1990, is recognised as the world's most trusted lottery agent ? providing customers with a safe and secure way to play some of Europe's most famous national lottery games, including British Lotto (National Lottery), Irish Lotto (Irish National Lottery), French Lotto (Loto), German Lotto (Lotto 6aus49), Spanish Lotto (La Primitiva, El Gordo, El Niño and Summer Gordo) and EuroMillions.

All the lotteries available through ELG are officially licensed and approved by the governments of their respective countries. Entries are lodged with the appropriate national online lotto network and customers are guaranteed the full value of any prizes they win, with no taxes deducted and no additional fees of any kind

For more information about European Lottery Guild, visit http://www.europeanlotteryguild.com

Contact: European Lottery Guild, Tel: UK 0800-969-029 (Freephone) or INT'L +1-604-675-2704,
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE European Lottery Guild (ELG)