El Gordo (Spanish Christmas Lottery) Simulator
See what happens if you buy 1 to 1 million tickets in Spain's El Gordo Christmas lottery, or keep buying until you win 1st prize. Each draw checks all your tickets and plays out on two golden 3D drums.
Buy 10 tickets and check them all against one draw.
Everything runs on this device. Draw results and your history are saved only in this browser.
Results so far
You haven't bought any tickets yet. Draw and the results will add up here.
| Prize | Wins | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| El Gordo (1st)€400,000All 5 digits match | 0Official 1 in 100,000Actual — | Official 1 in 100,000Actual — |
| 2nd prize€125,000All 5 digits match | 0Official 1 in 100,000Actual — | Official 1 in 100,000Actual — |
| 3rd prize€50,000All 5 digits match | 0Official 1 in 100,000Actual — | Official 1 in 100,000Actual — |
| 4th prize€20,000All 5 digits match (2 numbers) | 0Official 1 in 50,000Actual — | Official 1 in 50,000Actual — |
| 5th prize€6,000All 5 digits match (8 numbers) | 0Official 1 in 12,500Actual — | Official 1 in 12,500Actual — |
| Next to 1st€2,000One number before or after the 1st prize | 0Official 1 in 50,000Actual — | Official 1 in 50,000Actual — |
| Next to 2nd€1,250One number before or after the 2nd prize | 0Official 1 in 50,000Actual — | Official 1 in 50,000Actual — |
| Next to 3rd€960One number before or after the 3rd prize | 0Official 1 in 50,000Actual — | Official 1 in 50,000Actual — |
| Pedrea€100All 5 digits match (1,794 numbers) | 0Official 1 in 56Actual — | Official 1 in 56Actual — |
| Centena€100Same first 3 digits as a 1st–4th prize | 0Official 1 in 202Actual — | Official 1 in 202Actual — |
| Last 2 digits€100Same last 2 digits as the 1st, 2nd or 3rd prize | 0Official 1 in 33Actual — | Official 1 in 33Actual — |
| Refund€20Same last digit as the 1st prize (reintegro) | 0Official 1 in 10Actual — | Official 1 in 10Actual — |
Each year's draw is independent and random. Last year's numbers, the shop you buy from or the number you pick don't change your odds. This isn't a tool to predict winners, but a way to see the odds and how buying more means losing more.
Based on the official number of prizes, the average return is 70.0% (€14 for 1 ticket). Prizes are the official amounts of Spain's state lottery, per ticket (a décimo, one tenth of a full ticket, €20). All are fixed. Spanish tax (20% on the part of a ticket's prize above €40,000) isn't deducted, and amounts aren't converted to other currencies.
Everything runs on this device. Draw results and your history are saved only in this browser.
Found it useful? We'd love a share
Something not working, or an idea to make it better?
How to use
1. Choose a number
In the panel below, tap “Choose a number” under “How to buy” and type a 5-digit number in “Number (00000–99999)”. “Quick pick” picks another one, and “Copy” copies the number. With your own number, each draw buys one ticket of it.
In the panel on the right, choose “Choose a number” under “How to buy” and type a 5-digit number in “Number (00000–99999)”. “Quick pick” picks another one, and “Copy” copies the number. With your own number, each draw buys one ticket of it.
2. Choose how many and draw
Switch back to “Random numbers”, choose how many tickets to buy (10 to 1,000,000), then scroll up and tap “Buy and draw”. Your tickets appear, and the two golden drums roll out number balls paired with prize balls. When they stop, your tickets are checked against that draw, winners get a stamp, and the result appears below.
Switch back to “Random numbers”, choose how many tickets to buy (10 to 1,000,000) and press “Buy and draw” on the left. Your tickets appear, and the two golden drums roll out number balls paired with prize balls. When they stop, your tickets are checked against that draw, winners get a stamp, and the result appears below.
3. Keep going or play until El Gordo
Under “Repeat”, choose “Keep going” to keep drawing with the same number of tickets until you tap “Stop”. “Until El Gordo” fast-forwards until the 1st prize comes up, then shows how many draws it took and how much you spent.
Under “Repeat”, choose “Keep going” to keep drawing with the same number of tickets until you press “Stop”. “Until El Gordo” fast-forwards until the 1st prize comes up, then shows how many draws it took and how much you spent.
4. See your totals and chart
Scroll down to “Results so far” for money spent, money won, net and how much came back, a chart of your net over time, and the official and actual odds for each prize. There's one draw a year, so changing “Tickets per year” changes how many years your tickets add up to.
Under the draw, “Results so far” shows money spent, money won, net and how much came back, a chart of your net over time, and the official and actual odds for each prize. There's one draw a year, so changing “Tickets per year” changes how many years your tickets add up to.
Good for
Checking the “easiest jackpot in the world” claim
The 1st prize is 1 in 100,000, far better odds than most lotteries. Choose “Until El Gordo” to see how many tickets and euros it took, and how many years that would be at one ticket a year.
Anyone curious after seeing El Gordo in the news
Knowing what to expect before buying in Spain
See your net after buying 10 or 100 tickets at €20 each, and how roughly 1 ticket in 7 wins something, as if you had really bought them.
People living in Spain or visiting in December
Learning how the derived prizes work
Once the 1st prize is drawn, the numbers next to it, with the same first 3 digits, or with the same last 2 or last digit win too. Buy 100,000 tickets and you hold every number, so you always win El Gordo — and still always lose money.
Students and teachers of probability
Enjoying the feel of the Madrid draw
A big golden drum of number balls and a small one of prize balls spin and roll out balls in pairs. In full screen it looks like the December 22 broadcast.
Families and friends having fun together
Before you start
- It doesn't predict numbers or recommend “lucky” shops or numbers. Every number has the same odds.
- You can't buy real tickets here, and there are no links to ticket sellers or agents.
- Prizes are the official amounts per ticket (décimo). Tax, sharing among co-buyers and currency conversion aren't included.
El Gordo odds and how this simulator works
El Gordo (“the fat one”) is the 1st prize of Spain's Christmas lottery (Lotería de Navidad), drawn every year on December 22. Numbers run from 00000 to 99999, each number is sold in many series, and one ticket (a décimo, one tenth of a full ticket) costs €20. At the Teatro Real in Madrid, balls are drawn one at a time from a big drum of numbers and a small drum of 1,807 prize balls and paired up. The 1st prize is 1 in 100,000, but with the prizes next to it, centenas, last digits and refunds, about 1 ticket in 7 wins something. All prizes are fixed and add up to exactly 70% of sales (€14 per ticket).
This simulator first decides that year's 1,807 winning numbers with your device's cryptographic random numbers (crypto.getRandomValues), then checks the tickets you bought against them. Even with 1,000,000 tickets there's only one draw, just like the real thing. The 3D drums only roll out the 1st–4th prize pairs already decided; they don't change the result. Checking runs separately from the page (in a Web Worker), so it never freezes, even at 1,000,000 tickets. Your numbers and results stay on this device and aren't sent anywhere.
FAQ
Common questions about the El Gordo simulator.
Are my numbers or results sent anywhere?
No. Draws and totals run only in your browser on this device, and your number and results stay on this device. “Clear results” deletes them.
Are some numbers or shops luckier?
No. Each year's draw is separate and random. Last year's numbers, a last digit that hasn't come up for a while, or a ticket from a famous shop all have the same odds. Famous shops sell more winners because they sell more tickets.
What prize amounts are used?
The official amounts of Spain's state lottery, per ticket (décimo): 1st €400,000, 2nd €125,000, 3rd €50,000, 4th €20,000, 5th €6,000, pedrea €100, next to the 1st–3rd €2,000 / €1,250 / €960, centena and last 2 digits €100, and refund €20. All are fixed and don't depend on sales or the number of winners.
Can one ticket win more than one prize?
Yes. For example, a pedrea number with the same last digit as the 1st prize also gets the €20 refund. Numbers next to the 1st prize can also win the centena and the refund. A winning number itself doesn't get the centena, last digits or refund derived from itself. The simulator adds prizes by the same rules.
What happens if I buy 100,000 tickets?
With “Random numbers”, 100,000 tickets cover every number from 00000 to 99999 once, so you always win El Gordo. Even so, the prizes add up to €1,400,000, which is €600,000 less than the €2,000,000 you spent. With 1,000,000 tickets you hold 10 of every number.
What's the expected value or payout rate?
Prizes add up to exactly 70% of sales, so a €20 ticket is worth €14 on average, a 70% payout. That's higher than many lotteries, but the more you buy, the closer you get to losing about 30% of what you spend.
Is tax included?
No. In Spain, 20% tax is taken from the part of a ticket's prize above €40,000 when it's paid (€72,000 of a €400,000 1st prize). Amounts here are prizes before tax. Tax where you live isn't included either.
How long does “Until El Gordo” take?
The odds are 1 in 100,000 per ticket, so with one ticket per draw it takes about 100,000 draws (€2,000,000) on average. There's one draw a year, so at one ticket a year that's about 100,000 years. It fast-forwards, and pressing “Stop” adds the results so far.
The drums don't show in 3D.
The 3D drums use WebGL. On devices or browsers without WebGL, a flat version shows the number and prize pairs one by one. Results are decided the same way. If “Reduce motion” is on in your device settings, the animation is skipped and the result appears right away.
Is it free?
Yes. No sign-up and no ads.
More tools
- Spin the wheel
Enter items and spin. A simple wheel spinner for picking meals, deciding turns and prize draws.
- Timer & Stopwatch
A timer that alerts you when time’s up and a stopwatch with laps. Both can go full screen.
- Dice Roller
Roll 1 to 100 dice in 3D and see the total instantly. A simple dice roller for board games and tabletop RPGs.
- Screen Size & Device Info
See your viewport, screen size, pixel ratio, OS and browser the moment you open it — and copy it all at once.
- Tally counter
Count with one big button. Make as many counters as you need, and your counts stay on your device.
- Lottery simulator (Japan Jumbo Takarakuji)
See what happens when you buy lots of Year-End Jumbo tickets as consecutive or random sets. Wins for each prize, money spent and money back, plus a 3D draw machine.