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Published Friday, December 11, 2020
$2.6 million-plus prize for
Christmas Gordo this Sunday
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The Social Protection Board, which is the organization responsible for conducting the Christmas lottery, will award the main prize of so-called Gordo Navideño, the big Christmas lottery with $2,650,707 per "entero."
The Christmas lottery has been a tradition in Costa Rica since the 1900s. The lottery tickets printed by the Board are three identical sets. Each ticket is called an "entero."
Each "entero" has 40 fractions, known as a "pedacito," a little piece in English. Each entero is numbered 0 to 99.
The way to win the Gordo is to have the correct two-digit number from 0 to 99 and the correct three-digit series, from 1 to 999. This means that there are a thousand series for sale throughout the country.
For example, last year the jackpot was number 15 and serial 589, paying $82,834 per "pedacito" to the winner, or $3.3 million-plus per entero.
This year, the holder of the winning number+serial will get about $2.6 million if they own the "entero" with 40 "pedacitos." Or they will get $66,267 depending if they have one "pedacito".
The big lottery also includes the second prize of $265,070 and the third prize of $132,535. This, plus more than 90 extra prizes ranging from $800 to $16,566 each.
This year the "entero" is selling for ¢80,000 colones (about $135), but traditionally friends and neighbors chip in and buy a ticket among themselves.
However, for those who think that the "entero" is way too expensive, there is the other option, buy one "pedacito" at $3.40.
All prizes will be paid immediately and without taxes at the lottery board offices in San José downtown, at any Banco de Costa Rica branch in the country or even the prize could be transferred into the winner's bank account.
The lottery can be purchased online, on the San José Social Protection Board website.
It is recommended to make the online purchase at least 2 hours before the game, due to the possible saturation of users buying lottery tickets at the same time.
To buy lottery tickets, first must enter the website, open a user, create an alphanumeric password and affiliate a debit or credit card. Then choose the number and the quantity of "pedacitos" to buy (from one to 40).
All the winning numbers purchased online will be paid automatically to the bank account that is linked to the card that was previously registered by the user.
U.S. citizens, of course, would still have to pay taxes on their winnings to Uncle Sam.
The authorities of the board, advise the public to buy the lottery only in the official post or on the web. This way helps avoid price speculation or counterfeit lottery.
The big Christmas lottery game will take place Sunday at 7 p.m. at the Board facilities.
It is a tradition in Costa Rica to watch the lottery on the television and see the three raffle drums produce the series, the number and the prize amid cheers and groans. It will be televised by local channels, 6, 7 and 13, and will be in live streaming on the Board's YouTube channel.
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