As we have discussed in previous posts, one of the great Christmas traditions from Spain is the Christmas Lottery, held every December 22nd, so marking the beginning of these endearing holidays.

And as the eternal slogan of this raffle paraphrases, ´The best prize is sharing it´, and there is no other Spanish tradition at this time of the year than sharing Lottery Tickets (tenths) among family members and close friends.

But why is it such a common habit? There is no specific explanation, although most citizens decide to buy Lottery Tickets (tenths) for this draw together, but there are, as we will see below, different reasons why it is usually done this way.

Main reasons why Christmas Lottery tickets are usually shared among family and friends

One of the most remarkable reasons to buy Lottery Tickets (tenths) for friends, family or work colleagues, is due to the fact that it is a beautiful way to share hope, which is The Golden Witch´s specialty. Meeting on these dates and making plans to win one of the great Prizes of the renowned Spanish Christmas Lottery. Also, what better way to enjoy a great Prize than being accompanied by your beloved ones, all of them having had the same Luck as you!

Another reason for purchasing a Christmas Lottery Tickets (tenths) among several people is, in this case a more pragmatic reason, the cost reduction that this entails. We must bear in mind that Christmas is a time of usually excessive spending kicks in and, despite the fact that many people may afford to spend €20 on a Lottery Ticket (tenth) for the most important draw of the year, others do not. In its beginnings, back in Christmas 1812, not everybody could afford to spend the 40 reais that each Lottery Ticket (tenth) used to cost, so they used to share it among several people, giving rise to such a century-old tradition.

In addition, by acquiring the Lottery Tickets (tenths) at a lower price, we happen to be having the option of buying several different numbers, thus increasing the chances that at least one of them will become a winner. What many people usually do within a group of friends, for example, is that each one is in charge of acquiring a Lottery Ticket (tenth), or even different raffles, such as the Christmas Draw, and the Child´s Draw, held on the January 6th.

These Lottery Tickets (tenths) are also used as a Christmas offerings, using it as a way to congratulate the holidays of your closest friends.

Finally, one reason to acquire different Christmas Lottery Tickets (tenths) is the impossibility of saying no to everyone who offers them because, as you may have guessed, what if that number becomes the winning Jackpot and you refused to buy it? One cannot play around with Luck. So the easiest way to get all possible Lottery Tickets (tenths) is by sharing them.

Sharing Lottery tickets online

On our website we also offer the possibility of giving lottery as a gift to your family members, friends,... In your virtual account there is a section where you are able to enter the email of the person you would like to give a lottery ticket (tenth). This type of lottery is not a physical / Home Lottery but Digital Lottery instead. In the Digital Lottery section of our website, as well as in the help section, we explain how virtual lottery tickets work. It is very convenient, specially for those who live abroad.

What should we take into account upon sharing Lottery Tickets (tenths) among friends?

When you are going to share a Lottery Ticket (tenth) or Euromillion tickets, La Primitiva,..., of any type of lottery, you must bear in mind that it is a bearer document, not nominative, so it may be charged by that in order to present it to the appropriate entity. What we mean by this is that you must take into account who you are willing to share the lottery with, in order to keep yourself safeguarded if the Lottery Ticket (tenth) becomes awarded with a Prize.

We know that in general, the lottery is usually shared with very close and trusted people, however it is important yet to carry out the procedures correctly and appropriately and, for this reason, the most advisable thing is making a photocopy of the Lottery Ticket (tenth) for each of the participants, with everyone´s signature (make sure that the signature matches that from the ID of each participant) on the back, indicating the percentage played by each one. This way, you will make a kind of unofficial contract, in order to verify that it is a shared Lottery Ticket (tenth) and that you specify, in a somewhat more formal way, that the Lottery Tickets (tenths) belong to everyone from the group and that it must be charged in proportional parts.

In case that you live far away, or as it is the current case of the pandemic, that you cannot meet before the 2020 Christmas Lottery Draw, it is convenient that those who have purchased the Lottery Ticket (tenth) send a photo by email, SMS or any other method of messaging, indicating the name of all the members and the participation of each one of them.

This is convenient since, if any of those involved decides to collect an awarded prize without counting with the rest and does not want to share it, it is important to be able to demonstrate it. In Spain it could incur with a crime of misappropriation, with imprisonment penalties between six months and three years and expensive fines if the amount earned exceeds €400.

For this reason, another good way to share a Lottery Ticket (tenth) is by means of lottery ticket shares, since it is a safer procedure. One person is in charge of and responsible for the Lottery Tickets (tenths) and for issuing the ballots. It is quite similar to the previous one, but somewhat safer for all participants.