The Gibraltar Government Lottery

While some people may have never heard about it, the Gibraltar Government Lottery is quite old. It remains pretty popular to this day due to the high odds of winning a prize. On top of that, the lottery is characterized by special drawings that produce much bigger prizes than the traditional ones. First introduced in 1947, the lottery still has many enthusiasts.

Gibraltar

Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory, situated at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula. It is only 3 miles long and 0.75 wide and is connected to Spain by a low and sandy strip of land that is just 1 mile long. Due to its military history and the status of a heavily fortified British air and naval base, Gibraltar is also known in that context as “the Rock”. It’s important to keep in mind that it’s not an island, but a small rocky peninsula off the coast of Spain governed by the UK. The nearby countries are Spain to the north and Morocco to the south. 

As for 2020, Gibraltar had a population of 34,003.

Weather

The country’s weather is governed by winds that blow from easterly and westerly directions. Summers are short, warm, and dry, while winters often are a mixture of mild, wet, and cool weather. Sea fog is not an uncommon occurrence, as well as lots of rainfall.

Language

Gibraltar’s official language is English and the residents follow the British education curriculum as they would in mainland UK. However, Spanish is widely spoken and the peninsula even has its own unofficial dialect called “Yanito”, a mixture of English and Spanish, and some Italian words. Some locals tend to frequently switch between the languages mid-sentence. 

Currency

The country’s currency is the Gibraltar pound, but Euros are also widely accepted, and so are credit cards, so contactless payments shouldn’t be a problem there. When paying in a foreign currency at a private business, you should ask at what rate you will be charged.

Politics

As an overseas territory of Britain, the head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who is represented by the Governor of Gibraltar. Britain is responsible for the defense, foreign relations, internal security, and financial stability of the country.

Gibraltar is the only British Overseas Territory that was part of the European Union. On 23 June 2016, Gibraltar voted along with the United Kingdom in the EU referendum; 96% of its population voted to remain, but the overall United Kingdom result was a 51.9% majority in favor of leaving the EU.

Tourism

Despite being a small country that covers an area of just four square kilometers, Gibraltar has its fair share of tourist attractions. For example, those interested in visiting the peninsula’s most southerly point can take a trip to Europa Point, where the 19th-century Trinity Lighthouse, the old chapel of Nuestra Señora de Europa, and the impressive Mosque of The Custodian of the Holy Mosques are located.

Gibraltar is also famous for its ape population. There are around 160 Barbary macaques, a species native to Morocco and the only monkeys living wild anywhere in Europe. The best place to see them is in the Upper Rock Nature Reserve in the Upper Rock area of the peninsula. 

To enjoy the amazing views that Gibraltar has to offer, you can take a ride on Gibraltar Cable Car. The breathtaking journey that takes the passengers up to 412 meters takes six minutes and offers some of the best views you’re ever likely to experience in the Mediterranean region.

Gibraltar Government Lottery

The Gibraltar Government Lottery came into existence shortly after the end of World War II, during which the country served a vital role in both the Atlantic Theater and the Mediterranean Theater, controlling virtually all naval traffic into and out of the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean. In wartime, it also provided a strongly defended harbor from which ships could operate in both seas. What is more, during the war, most of Gibraltar’s civilian population was evacuated, mainly to London, but also to parts of Morocco, Madeira, and to Gibraltar Camp in Jamaica. 

After the war, Gibraltar’s government was seeking a way to service a loan used to finance the construction of new housing for the population that had been evacuated. The first draw took place in 1947, and since then has become popular among lottery lovers. Estimates suggest that the annual spending on lottery tickets per year reaches an average of £4.5 million.

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How to Play the Gibraltar Government Lottery

The Gibraltar Government Lottery is a conventional passive game in which the players get to choose the numbers. There are 24 draws per year, but additional ones that are known as “bumpers” can also be scheduled for special occasions. A ticket in one of the regular drawings is £10 (divided into 10 shares of £1 each). For special occasions, the cost of a ticket goes up to £20. Drawings typically take place every other week. There are usually three special events in a year, but the numbers could differ. 

Check past Government Lottery Gibraltar Results. Those who prefer watching the results unfold on live television can do so by watching the GBC News channel every alternate Tuesday. 

Breakdown of Prizes for a Normal Gibraltar Government Lottery Draw

Here’s what the Gibraltar Government Lottery Prize Structure for the regular draws look like:

• First prize: £100,000; number of prizes – 1,
• Second prize: £10,000; number of prizes – 1, 
• Third prize: £5,000; number of prizes – 1,
• Minor prizes: £500; number of prizes – 20,
• First 4 digits match first 4 digits of 1st, 2nd, or 3rd prize: £50; number of prizes – 27,
• Last 3 digits match last 3 digits of 1st, 2nd, or 3rd prize: £30; number of prizes – 57,
• First 3 digits match first 3 digits of 1st, 2nd, or 3rd prize: £20; number of prizes – 297,
• Last digit matches last digit of 1st prize: £10; number of prizes – 1999.

Gibraltar Government Lottery Summer Bumper Draw

One of them is the Gibraltar Government Lottery Summer Bumper Draw, where there are 25,000 tickets, and the prize goes up to £250,000. In the Summer Bumper, 35 winning numbers are drawn, consisting of 5 major prizes and 30 minor prizes.

Gibraltar Government Lottery Christmas Draw

The biggest and most anticipated draw is the second “bumper”: Gibraltar Christmas Draw, held during the week before Christmas. One ticket costs £20, and the first prize is £500,000. Exactly 50,000 lottery tickets are issued for this draw, and 25 winning numbers are drawn. It all then boils down to 5 major and 20 minor prizes. 

Gibraltar Government Lottery Three Kings Draw

The third “bumper” draw is the “Three Kings draw,” held at the beginning of January. The price of one ticket is £20, and the first prize is £200,000. There are 20,000 tickets issued for the draw, and 33 numbers are drawn, consisting of 3 major prizes and 30 minor prizes.

Gibraltar Government Lottery Odds and Prizes

In the standard drawing, there are 20,000 tickets – this means that your odds of winning the biggest award are one in 20,000, which, in comparison to what other national lotteries have to offer, is a high probability. The maximum prize is £100,000, and because the players don’t choose their own numbers and the tickets are pre-printed, there will always be a winner. 

The second prize is £10,000, and the third prize is £5,000. 

Additionally, Gibraltar’s lottery has various minor prizes for each regular and special drawing. These range from £500 to £10. The total prize amount for a series of 20,000 tickets is £153,990.

Claiming Prizes

Players can start making prize payout requests on the business day following the drawing date. In total, winners have six months to claim their prizes. Gibraltar doesn’t impose an income tax on lottery prizes, so the sum that’s being advertised is the one that the lucky player is going to receive.

Who Can Play the Gibraltar Government Lottery?

Players have to be at least 18 years old to play the lottery. Foreigners who are on the territory of Gibraltar are welcome to join the game, and there are no nationality limitations.

Can You Play Online?

The tickets for the lottery are available for purchase via authorized retail venues. Unfortunately, there’s no online ticket buying option available, which means that if you want to play, you will have to be on Gibraltar’s territory. 

As there’s no digital platform supporting this local game, you can’t buy Gibraltar lottery online tickets via any web-based lottery agent.

The Bottom Line

The Gibraltar Government Lottery is an excellent, laid-back opportunity to test your luck and give yourself a chance to win quite impressive prizes. If the regular drawings don’t satisfy you, the game provides exciting special events. It’s a national lottery monitored by Gibraltar’s government, and it’s organized under a regulatory framework, making it a safe and reliable source of thrills.

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