Costa News Spain Breaking News | English News in Spain.
One lucky ticket buyer in Estepona has won a ONCE “Sueldazo” worth €2,000 per month for the next 10 years, or a total of €240,000, in the Weekend Draw held on 22 November.
The prize was sold by Francisco Jiménez, an ONCE street vendor since 2000. Jiménez, originally from Caceres and a resident of Estepona for just the last two years, learned of the win He was overjoyed. “Now that’s a proper ‘good morning’!” He laughed. “I am so happy to have been able to help someone in such a way. That’s why I love my job. I’m eager to meet the winner and congratulate him personally,” he said with a grin, adding that “I have now given people more reasons to love me” in his town.
The ONCE Weekend Sueldazo, drawn every Saturday and Sunday, offers a top prize of €300,000 plus €5,000 a month for 20 years to one ticket, and four additional “Sueldazo” (big salary) prizes of €2,000 a month for 10 years each.
What is the meaning of “11” and what is ONCE?
ONCE (Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles – National Organisation of Spanish Blind People) is a major Spanish public corporation founded in 1938 to improve the lives of people with blindness and serious visual impairments. The model is viewed as one of the most successful social enterprises in Europe. Most of its 21,000 street sellers are blind or severely disabled, giving them a dignified job and integrating them into society. The name “ONCE” is simply the Spanish word for the number “eleven” – a reference to the original 11-digit coupon introduced in its early lottery draws. The number 11 has often been used in Spain as a visual reference to blindness – the two ones signifying the blind eyes. All of the money generated from its games is reinvested in social services and education, training and employment programmes to benefit people with disabilities.
ONCE tickets fit into a model of social, responsible, and safe lottery. The organisation applies strict controls from design to sales in order to prevent excessive gaming. Sales to minors are prohibited, as well as credit purchases. They also follow the strictest standards for responsible gambling set by the World Lottery Association Lotteries Europeans.
