Spaniards have been anticipating the arrival of “El Gordo” or “The Fat One” for weeks. That's the name of the first prize in Spain’s hugely popular national Christmas lottery.

Spain's world-famous "El Gordo" Christmas lottery distributed a record more than €2.7 billion ($2.8 billion) on Sunday, with the lucky winners holding tickets with the number 72,480 in Logroño in La Rioja in northern Spain.

Players with winning tickets in Spain's huge Christmas lottery draw on Sunday celebrated with sparkling wine, cheers and hugs in a 200-year-old tradition that marks the beginning of the Christmas season.

The people of Spain were glued to their screens for the annual Christmas lottery draw, which was broadcast from the Royal Opera House in Madrid. “El Gordo” or "The Fat One" is said to be the world’s largest lottery based on the total prize money.

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Spain's world-famous "El Gordo" Christmas lottery organizers began broadcasting the draw from the Teatro Real opera house in Madrid on Sunday morning, with winnings totalling more than €2.7 billion ($2.

The most coveted prize, El Gordo, was announced as Number 72408, valued at €400,000 per ticket, had been sold in a lottery shop in Logroño.

Lottery mania hits Spain in the weeks leading up to the Christmas lottery. Relatives, co-workers, groups of friends and club members frequently buy tickets or fractions of them together, often favouring particular "lucky" vendors or numbers. The most common ticket costs 20 euros, offering up to 400,000 euros in prize money, before taxes.