From embracing each other in celebration of a 35 million euro prize, the village of Villamanín descended into chaos and arguments after organizers sold “fake” tickets to 50 people.
Villamanín, a remote mountain village in the province of León, northwestern Spain, has nearly 1,000 residents. To liven up the atmosphere and raise funds for the local festival, a group of young people in the village (the Festival Committee) bought El Gordo lottery tickets (Christmas lottery) and then divided them into smaller tickets to sell to the villagers.
Each ticket was worth 5 euros, with 4 euros as a bet and 1 euro donated to the village fund. In total, 450 tickets were sold to residents and tourists, with the promise of a life-changing opportunity.
On December 22, 2025, when the lottery results were announced, joy erupted throughout Villamanín. People poured into the snow-covered streets, uncorked bottles of wine, and embraced and danced. With 450 winners, the village is estimated to receive a total of approximately 35 million euros.
But the “honeymoon” of these newly rich millionaires only lasts four days.
A resident of Villamanín village proudly displays his winning lottery ticket from December 22, 2025. Photo: El Pais
The festive atmosphere died down, replaced by suspicion when people discovered that the festival committee had sold 450 tickets, but in reality, they had only purchased the original quantity corresponding to 400. One set of tickets was missed or lost, meaning that 50 tickets sold – equivalent to 4 million euros in prize money – were completely worthless.
An emergency meeting lasting four hours was held at the community center. Over 100 people crowded together amidst shouts, curses, and even tears. “Today, we have lost friends,” the representative of the youth group that organized the event bowed his head, admitting the mistake in counting the tickets and apologizing to the villagers. But the apology did not appease the anger of those who suddenly lost 80,000 euros.
Tensions escalated to the point where police had to intervene to prevent a potential fight between the neighbors.
“It’s all crazy. The luckiest people right now are probably those who didn’t buy any tickets,” a frustrated resident said, witnessing neighbors threatening to sue each other.
To avoid a legal battle and the prize money being frozen for years, an agreement was reached. Under this agreement, the youth group organizing the event agreed to forfeit their entire prize money (approximately 1.2 to 2 million euros) as compensation. The remaining amount would be covered by cutting approximately 5-10% of the prize money for the 400 eligible winners.
This shared loss solution ensured that the 50 overlooked individuals still received their money, but not everyone was happy. Many said they accepted a reduction in their bonus because they didn’t want to see the young men in the village – who were working for the community – face legal trouble or bankruptcy.
“Money is the cruelest test of human character,” a commentary in the Mirror remarked about the tragicomic story at Villamanín.
