Spain's El Nino lottery spreads $666 million in winnings

MADRID (AP) -- A lottery spread 560 million euros ($666 million) among jubilant ticket holders throughout Spain, which is struggling to emerge from a financial crisis that has left it saddled with high unemployment.

The "El Nino" (The Child) lottery is held each Feast of the Epiphany on Jan. 6, and the top prize tickets, each worth 200,000 euros ($237,935), were all sold in Leganes, a southwest Madrid working-class suburb.

Lesser prizes were widely dispersed, including in the provinces of Albacete, Almeria and Barcelona.

The lottery's name refers to the baby Jesus, who according to tradition was visited this day by three wise men bearing gifts.

Lottery tickets cost 20 euros ($23.8) and the pot is divided among thousands of ticket-holders, limiting the jackpot size but spreading winnings more widely.