The exorbitant amount of 2.71 billion €100,000 was handed out by the Christmas lottery in Spain this year, with the big winners celebrating wildly with champagne on Sunday.

The Christmas lottery is one 200 years tradition and it takes place before Christmas. Relatives, colleagues, friends and members of organizations buy lottery tickets, preferring certain “lucky” sellers or numbers.

The big draw took place yesterday, Sunday, at the Theater Royal in Madrid and was televised.

The top prize, called El Gordocitizens from the northern city won Logroño. “I would like the lottery to go to Valencia. Frankly, I think it should go to the affected areas.”25-year-old Vicent Jacinto told the Guardian, referring to the recent floods.

The simple lottery ticket costs 20 euros and offers the possibility to win up to 400,000 euros.

The top prize that is at least the half money will end up in Madridsince lots of lotteries they fell into one basketball club of the working class neighborhood of San Blas-Canillejas.

The young members of the club and their families gathered to sing and dance to the sound of drums, as they do on the field.

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“I woke up late today and my mother came into my room with the lottery tickets in her hands screaming like crazy”said 28-year-old Diego Gala, coach of the club.

The Spanish lottery dates from 1812when the country was under French occupation during the Napoleonic Wars. The lottery was established to raise funds for the struggle for independence. These days, the proceeds, after operating expenses and payments are deducted, go to social purposes.