Played by 98% of Spanish residents at some point during the year, Spain’s La Primitiva lottery is easily one of the most popular lotteries in the country.
In this guide, we will look at what this game is about and how you can buy Spanish La Primitiva tickets online.
We will also determine if it is worth joining the other millions of players eager to get their hands on a ticket.
About Spanish La Primitiva
La Primitiva is easily one of the oldest lotteries anywhere in the world.
The game was first launched under the name Loteria por Numeros (“lottery by numbers”) way back in December 1763.
It enjoyed its place as the only go-to lottery in the country until 1812, when Loteria Nacional (National Lottery) was launched.
At the same time, Loteria por Numeros was rebranded to La Primitiva (“the primitive one”).
Because it lost players to the new competition, Loteria por Numeros was discontinued in 1862.
However, years later, in 1985, La Primitiva made a comeback, with its first draw taking place on October 17.
Since then, the game has regained its former popularity and undergone a few minor changes to become what it is today.
Spanish La Primitiva Draws
As you may expect, a draw this popular cannot take place just once a week.
Thankfully, there are two draws held each week, on Thursdays and Saturdays at 9:30 pm CET.
All draws are held in Madrid.
How to Play Spanish La Primitiva
Playing this great game is something different for sure. Although the game uses a simple 6/49 format, it is not in the way you may know expect.
To play, you will need to actually pick five numbers from a range of 1 to 49. You will then need to select another number from the same range. This sixth number is known as the Complementario.
Unlike with other lotteries, these six numbers are only used to determine prizes up to the second prize tier.
To win the jackpot, you must match all five numbers and the Reintegro number.
The Reintegro is a seventh number that is automatically assigned each time you purchase a ticket. You have no choice in what your seventh number will be.
A single line of play costs around €1.17 (when purchased in Spain).
However, if you prefer to buy your lotto tickets online, some sites may add a small convenience charge.
In addition to the great Reintegro twist to the game, there is an additional add-on that you can choose to play with for an extra €1. This feature is called the Joker.
Playing with the Joker will print a random seven-digit number on your ticket.
If your number matches that chosen during the draw, you could win up to €1 million on top of whatever you may win from the main draw.
,Spanish La Primitiva Prizes and Odds
There are seven different prize tiers that you can win with. As said above, the numbers that you actually choose can only get you up to the second prize tier.
However, if you match all six of your numbers and the Reintegro, then you will win the jackpot.
The odds of winning this jackpot are 1 in 139,838,160.
While these odds aren’t the greatest, they are still far greater than some other international lotteries. These include US Powerball (1 in 292,201,338) and Italy SuperEnalotto (1 in 622,614,630).
Furthermore, the best online La Primitiva syndicates can improve these odds to as little as 1 in 1,398,381.
For these odds, you will get a minimum jackpot of €3 million that rolls over each time it goes unclaimed. As an added bonus, there is no limit on how many times the jackpot can roll over.
Another extra on the prize lineup is if you match no numbers except the Reintegro. Unlike most other lotteries, doing this will entitle you to a full refund of your ticket.
The seven prize tiers are outlined below:
Numbers Matched | Odds of Winning | Estimated Prize |
6 + Reintegro | 1 in 139,838,160 | Jackpot |
6 | 1 in 13,983,816 | €1.7 million |
5 + Complementario | 1 in 2,330,636 | €24,500 |
5 | 1 in 55,491 | €2,550 |
4 | 1 in 1,032 | €70 |
3 | 1 in 57 | €8 |
Reintegro Only | 1 in 10 | Full ticket refund |
Claiming Spanish La Primitiva Prizes
There is not much information on how exactly to go about claiming your prize if you are a lucky winner.
In fact, even the official La Primitiva website is quiet on how to get your money.
We assume, however, that the process follows the norm and requires you to contact the lottery for jackpot wins and claim smaller wins at any authorised retailer.
We can say for certain that there are no annuity prizes offered, even for jackpot winners. All jackpots are paid out in cash lump sums.
Notable Spanish La Primitiva Winners
The most notable win in the lottery’s history occurred on October 15, 2015. After rolling over a staggering 56 times, the jackpot was eventually claimed after reaching a whopping €101.7 million.
Aside from this incredible amount, the jackpot has also reached over €70 million in other years. In 2019, one winner took home €78.5 million, and in 2014 another player won a life-changing €73 million.
Spanish La Primitiva-Should You Play?
The simple answer is yes. You should definitely play Spanish La Primitiva.
Not only is this lottery one of the oldest lotteries in existence, but there are also some great reasons to play.
To start, there is the nice starting jackpot that has proven that it can grow to insane amounts. Add to this the acceptable odds, the Joker add-on and that there are two draws each week.
This lottery is certainly a game worth grabbing a ticket for. After all, you may just be the next record jackpot winner.
Joel