Hi Mario, et al-

Re: El Gordo,

My source for this information is a trusted correspondent in Valencia, Spain who participates in this lottery, Unless I read otherwise I will accept his ticket reading as vaild.

Are you in Spain"

Understand there is another El Gordo on or about Epihany January 6th.

Perhaps some Spanish LB memeber can kindly report directly on this matter.

Good Luck,

EddessaKnight

Where is the split between high prizes and low prizes for the "only Spanish winners" rule. Can your friend scan a ticket with the rules and post or email. Thanks.

Hi Mario, et al-

Here is the reply I recievd directly from Valencia, Spain on the famous El Gordo

"I don't have anything to send you. The fact is it is in Spanish and they would not be able to understand it anyways. This info comes from Spanish natives. If your friends want to think their leg is being pulled let them. Spain is a very closed and not friendly to foreigner society. Basically they make everything as hard as possible for non-Spaniards all the time. Frankly, I don't like it very much. For example if I lived in Germany, I could walk into the office with my MA drivers licence and get an EU one. Here, I have to pay over a 1000euros to go to driving school and then maybe pass a test in Spanish. The list goes on and on. As somebody very wise told me, Europe starts at France."

Went on with the US Dept of State and here is the unbelivable but  direct confirmation about Spanish residency requirements:

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_2475.html

~

Don't buy any wooden El Gordo tickets

EddessaKnight

This makes America look bad in lottery play. We need to have something like this, it would deffinately help out a lot of people during this economy time.

Thanks for the response but I find it very confusing. He says he has nothing to send but then goes on to say that "it" is in Spanish and we would not be able to understand it. Whatever "it" is. Sound like he does have something to send. A lot of people in North America can speak, read and write Spanish. It is a very popular language.

He goes on to say that you must be a resident of Spain to play. But for how long? Can one live in Spain for 1 year and then buy a ticket? How about 3 months. How about a tourist staying in Spain for a 2 week vacation. Are they not residing in Spain?

Mario, et al-

I peronally went online  with the US Dept of State and here is the unbelivable but  direct confirmation about Spanish residency requirements for El Gordo:

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_2475.html

to win the BIG prize (the GRAND prize) you not only have to be a resident of Spain, but you have to be a naturalized born citizen. Again this is what my Spanish friends have told me in Valencia but those who are Spanish literate can contact El Gordo authorities for verification and report back to LB.

Good Luck.

EddessaKnight