SODETO, Spain — Just a few weeks ago, the 70 households in the isolated farming village of Sodeto were struggling under the double whammy of Spain's economic downturn and the ravages of a severe drought.
Some were even thinking of passing up Spain's huge Christmas lottery, known as El Gordo — the fat one — which is something of a national obsession. But they bought tickets out of loyalty to the homemakers' association here, which makes a small percentage on the sales.
And then, their number came in.
All but one household in Sodeto held at least a piece of a winning ticket in the lottery's huge first prize, $950 million, the biggest ever.
Some of Sodeto's residents, mostly farmers and unemployed construction workers, won millions. The least fortunate came away with a minimum of $130,000 — and the giddy feeling that life, in its mysterious ways, was giving them another chance.
It is one of the rare bits of happy news amid the relentlessly gloomy European economic crisis, in which Spain has been one of the hardest of the hard-luck cases. But it has not come without its own cost: the village, until now just a dot on the map about three hours northwest of Barcelona, has been inundated with salespeople and fortune seekers ever since.
On a recent morning, the vendors just kept showing up: bankers in suits offering high interest rates, car salesmen talking up BMWs and furniture dealers going door to door.
Like many other local farmers, José Manuel Penella Cambra, who had recently invested in more efficient irrigation techniques, worried about how he would meet his payments. But his wife bought two tickets, worth $260,000, and his son found two more she had bought earlier and had forgotten about, bringing the total to $520,000.
"I kept saying: look for some more, look for some more," he joked in the village cafe, a shabby establishment with a few Formica tables and a ripped black leatherette sofa. "But this money means that now we can breathe. And the best part is that it isn't just me. Everybody won."
The day of the lottery announcement was collective madness, the residents said, as they realized how many of their neighbors had won, too.
As news spread, the farmers raced into town on their tractors. The mayor, Rosa Pons, used a megaphone to congratulate everyone. Anica Bordei, the cafe manager, ran into the street with her socks on, even though they had holes in the toes. In what seemed like 20 minutes, the bankers were on hand to collect the tickets and then the local news media showed up.
"Some of the ladies talked about going to the hairdresser," Mayor Pons said. "But the hairdresser won, too. And she said, 'I'm not working today.' So that ended that."
The lottery, first established in 1812, is a huge event in Spain. Many people take the morning off to watch the televised coverage of the numbers being drawn from a gilded spinning cage. Spain's lottery works differently from those in the United States. This year there were 1,800 first-prize-winning tickets with the same number, 58268, each paying $520,000. As the tickets cost $26 each, they are often broken down into $6.50 "participations."
The Sodeto homemakers' association sells the tickets every year and usually nets about $1,300, which it uses to pay for food and decorations during local festivals. (It gets a small percentage of every ticket sold.) This year the tickets the women sold, here and in visits to 17 neighboring villages, brought in more than $150 million in winnings.
Even now, the residents of Sodeto are prone to giggling when they retell the stories of where they were when they heard, and how they almost did not buy any tickets, or how someone's grandmother had a secret stash of tickets tucked away in her purse.
But selling the tickets was difficult this year. Even the cheapest "participations" were expensive for some.
At one point, Mari Carmen Lambea, a member of the homemakers' association, tried to sell a ticket to a friend whose husband was unemployed. But her friend could only promise to pay her later. When the number was called, the friend still had not paid. But Ms. Lambea had saved the ticket for her anyway.
"She was afraid to call me and ask," Ms. Lambea said. "So her son called my son and asked him whether I had really saved the ticket, and I said, 'Of course, I did.' And then there was a lot of crying."
So far, though, no one has splurged on anything much, Mayor Pons said.
"Are you going to see Mercedes going up and down our streets?" she said. "I don't think so. People are going to invest in the fields and maybe a sofa."
The mayor said that most residents of the village — a planned community built in the 1960s as part of the government's ambitious efforts to improve agricultural production by cultivating unused, often arid land — were hoping that things could get back to normal soon. It used to be a place where every door was unlocked. But no more.
As Ms. Lambea headed home from the cafe recently, she spotted the familiar car of a particularly determined banker. "Oh no," she said, ducking out of his line of sight. "I'm turning off my phone."
Some like Mr. Penella, the farmer, hope that the money will help keep the next generation, in particular his son, in the village. In the 1960s, Sodeto had 400 residents. But nowadays, only 250 people live here. Young people have moved on.
The only resident who did not win was Costis Mitsotakis, a Greek filmmaker, who moved to the village for love of a woman. It did not work out. But he still lives here in a barn he is restoring about half a mile outside the village. Somehow, the homemakers had overlooked him this year as they made the rounds.
Mr. Mitsotakis said it would have been nice to win. But he has benefited nonetheless. He had been trying to sell some land without much success. The day after the lottery a neighbor called to say he would buy it. The next day another neighbor called. But Mr. Mitsotakis refused to get into a bidding war.
"This is a small village," he said. "You don't want bad feelings."
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"Are you going to see Mercedes going up and down our streets?" she said. "I don't think so. People are going to invest in the fields and maybe a sofa."
Smart folks; not much new land being made.
One woman speaking for everyone.
I think you'll see more than one Mercedes.People are people the world over.And people want nice things that they couldn't previously afford.
Esta jodio tipo!
A whole village minus one person won? omg! now thats what I call a true bailout, well except for the ninja who decided to not join in.
Its bad enough when there's an office pool and a dozen people hit a jp and one person decides not to play; here we're talking of a whole village!
No amount of therapy could ever cure the nightmare and regret of that loner, none. SAD.
L@@K'ssssssssssLIKE>>>>>>>>>>>these SOCIALIST!!!!!!!!
turned>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>CAPITALI$T>>>>
invest in fields>>>that's>>>HARD>WORK^^^^^^^^^!!!!!!!!!!
CONGRAT'$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$!!!!!!!
2>>>>>>ALL these WONDERFUL>>>>>^^^^^PEOPLE !!!!!!!!
The only resident who did not win was Costis Mitsotakis, a Greek filmmaker, who moved to the village for love of a woman. It did not work out. But he still lives here in a barn he is restoring about half a mile outside the village. Somehow, the homemakers had overlooked him this year as they made the rounds.
Mr. Mitsotakis said it would have been nice to win. But he has benefited nonetheless. He had been trying to sell some land without much success. The day after the lottery a neighbor called to say he would buy it. The next day another neighbor called. But Mr. Mitsotakis refused to get into a bidding war.
"This is a small village," he said. "You don't want bad feelings."
God bless Maria Carmen Lambea for saving that ticket for her friend even though she didn't have the money to pay.
The world needs more people like her.
That Greek guy oughta open up a Gyros Stand.
All them people got money now, he'd make a fortune.
We need this.1800 first prize winners is awesome. There was a drawing 2 yrs ago that had 1950 first prize winners.
Oh no we don't! That is so socialist! If Powerball worked that way, then if the jackpot was hit this Saturday, the winners would only gross 75,000 before taxes! Definitely no where near a life-changing sum of money. So let Spain have their El Gordo and let Powerball and Mega Millions be PB and Mega Millions respectively. I am sure those in the "stay anonymous" crowd would agree with my sentiments, as the evidence of the sharks, leeches, and parasites coming out of the woodwork and descending on this town is justification enough to NOT want that here.
Congrats to the lucky winners, cool story.
As Ms. Lambea headed home from the cafe recently, she spotted the familiar car of a particularly determined banker. "Oh no," she said, ducking out of his line of sight. "I'm turning off my phone."
After what they have put that part of the world through, one wonders how banksters can even walk down the streets safely.
Congratulations to this winning ticket.
Very nice story......Congrats to the winners......
"Somehow, the homemakers had overlooked him this year as they made the rounds..."
So if you are writing the script got this movie, what is Mr. Mitsotakis doing when they came around? Too busy playing Words With Friends? Got his iPod turned up too loud? On the phone telling his mom that even though he's sad about his love life being in tatters, he has a hunch his luck is about to turn around?
Wow, this story reminds me of that Teacher who bailed out on his lottery group... they won the Jackpot except for him. LOL.
I believe Mr. Mitsotakis was right to refused to get into a bidding war over his land . With only 250 residents , everybody know everybody else . In a town this small , two people feuding over anything means 248 will be expected to pick a side. Congrat's to all the winners . Nice story.
They have this drawing every year i'm assuming i wonder if i were to take a trip to spain next year just to purchase some tickets. I know they will never do anything close to this with the powerball because the us is so greedy with their lottery their should be more winners when the jackpot reaches a certain amount.
I have a simple message for this lucky town.l think they should show gratitude to the God of luck by putting together some money and share to the only man in the village that didn't get any.If they don't one day the God of luck will in the same way do another reverse miracle by taking away all there wealth and giving it to only that man .if they think this is impossible then maybe some spanish bulls will go crazy and run the entire village down lol well its called karma and I really believe in it.
I have one advice to the only man in the village that didn't win anything.l heard he is a film maker well its time to pick up your camera and make a movie on every one of thoes greedy villagers and how they do both good and bad with there money catch them getting drunk on public property and put all on tape if you do good you will make more money than you could have won if you don't then make one of yourself really a big looser lol that will sell too.
Yes you can take a trip to spain if you want but remember you are 100 times more likely to be thrown over the fence by a crazy spanish bull so don't say I didn't tell you so.lol
America needs an 'El Gordo'!
I was in Spain for Christmas and witnessed the success of the 'El Gordo' lottery. I also participated but did not win, but it was fun. The Spanish Christmas Lottery, known as 'El Gordo' in Spanish (or 'The Fat One'), has the biggest prize pool of any lottery in the world. It is a national lottery game organized every year since 1812. Because of the unique way El Gordo is played (the expensive tickets are broken down into 10 smaller tickets), it can be quite sociable to play the Spanish Christmas Lottery.
I think such a lottery would be popular in the US at Christmas time, in addition to the usual lottery games. It would also raise additional revenue. State lotteries should consider introducing such a game, on a national level, for next Christmas. I would like other lottery players to write to their state lottery and recommend that US lotteries introduce a FAT ONE for next Christmas.
Everybody wins the lottery except for one poor schmuck??
If that's not a plot for a Bill Murray movie I don't know what is!!
No, we don't. There would be no reason to play PB and Mega Million. It reminds me of that episode of "Martin." Martin thought he won millions, but then he found many people won and he wasn't so rich after all. There would be no quitting your job, buying your dream home, traveling the world, sending all the kids to the college. People play because they dream of being millionaires not thousandaires. It's blessing all those people won, but leave it in Spain.
CONGRATS!!!
WHAT would>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>JESUS>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>SAY>>>????????
SOW>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>UR>>>FIELD'$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
WORK>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>UR>>>FIELD'$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
THANK U GOD>>>>>>>>>>>>and UR>>>>>>>>>>>>>UR>>>FIELD'$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
GOD BLR$$ these FIELD'$$$$$$$$$$$$
psykomo
That village had been struggling during a fragile economy and congratulations to everyone. Now, they can breathe a sign of relief. I wonder how many people will be moving out of that community, starting over afresh, and moving on with their lives?
I think the winnings will be tax-free -- I'm not sure. Anyway, if the United States would not tax us on winnings; we would have more players, too. At least once or twice a year, have a tax-free lottery. Then, again, that would be like doing rightly by the politicians.
Finally, I guess the VAT (value added tax) is so high to compensate such high winnings. The US was talking about doing that. What are the advantages and disadvantages, posters?