Lorraine Williamson
Spain’s first big national ritual of the year isn’t a fireworks show or a speech. It’s a drum-roll of numbers on Three Kings Day — and, for a lucky few, the moment a January “maybe” becomes a very real bank transfer. The El Niño lottery 2026 has done what it does best: scattered windfalls across the map, from major cities to small towns that will now be talking about one number for months.
The first prize went to 06703, worth €2 million per series (€200,000 per décimo), with second prize 45875 and third prize 32615.
The numbers that mattered this year
The headline story is not just the winning number — it’s the way it travelled. According to Agencia EFE, 06703 was sold through 146 administrations and landed in almost every autonomous community, missing Cantabria, which saw none of the top three prizes.
For anyone clutching a décimo right now, the fastest “ground truth” check remains the official results list from Loterías y Apuestas del Estado.
Where the money landed
Galicia: all four provinces touched
Galicia had a particularly celebratory map this year: El Debate reports 06703 was sold across all four provinces, with wins linked to places including Marín (Pontevedra), As Pontes and Zas (A Coruña), Xinzo de Limia and Ourense, and Monforte de Lemos (Lugo).
Comunidad Valenciana: 20 localities share the first prize trail
In the Valencia region, 06703 was sold in 20 locations, including Alfafar and Paiporta, according to elDiario.es (citing Loterías y Apuestas del Estado data). EFE also highlighted Paiporta as one of the towns still associated nationally with the October 2024 DANA floods, adding an extra layer of symbolism to the win.
Andalucía: big headlines beyond the first prize
EFE reports that Almería concentrated a large share of major-prize value, driven by second-prize sales in Las Cabañuelas (Vícar), while Granada featured strongly through the third prize, plus additional first-prize décimos in nearby locations. Málaga province also saw first-prize money land in multiple places.
How much you actually keep
The popular assumption — “€200,000 in my pocket” — is where reality bites. Under Spain’s special levy on lottery prizes, winnings above the exempt amount are subject to a 20% withholding, and reporting is handled at source.
For El Niño, that means the first and second prizes typically trigger withholding, while smaller prizes may not, depending on the amount.
How to claim your prize
If you’re holding a winning décimo, Spain’s rules are straightforward — but the deadlines matter.
-
Prizes expire after three months
(counted from the day after the draw). -
Smaller prizes
can be collected through the Loterías retail network, while larger prizes are paid via authorised banks (SELAE points to BBVA and CaixaBank as the current collaborating entities).
The key practical advice is dull but essential: keep the physical décimo safe, photograph it, and if you shared it with others, document the split properly before anyone tries to cash it.
A brief history: why “El Niño” feels like New Year’s in Spain
El Niño is often described as Christmas Lottery’s younger sibling, but its emotional timing is different: it lands on 6 January, when families are already together for Reyes, and when many people are still holding on to the idea that the year can start again — properly — with a bit of luck.
Official historical notes from Loterías y Apuestas del Estado trace the draw’s modern shape to 1941, when it was institutionalised, and to 1942, when it was turned into an extraordinary draw after early success.
And while the nickname “El Niño” was long used popularly, Loterías’ own historical material notes that the “Sorteo de ‘El Niño’” denomination appears in official prize lists from 1966.
In other words, it’s not a new tradition dressed up as an old one. It’s an old habit that Spain keeps renewing — partly because it’s fun, partly because it’s communal, and partly because January is when people most want to believe in sudden reversals of fortune.
The quieter story behind the headlines
Because 06703 was so widely sold, many winners won’t be “new millionaires” in the cinematic sense. They’ll be families paying off debt, topping up savings, covering a renovation, or helping grown-up children with rent — the kinds of financial moves that don’t trend online but do reshape lives.
And by next week, the national conversation will shift again: from celebrations to cautionary advice, from lucky towns to receipts, deadlines, and tax rules — the paperwork side of Spain’s most joyful superstition.