Today’s draws, Tuesday, November 3: schedules and jackpots of Euromillones, Eurojackpot, Bonoloto and ONCE

In Spain, an individual or a company cannot freely create a nationwide lottery: this activity is reserved for Loterías y Apuestas del Estado and ONCE, with an exception for certain charitable entities. Before organizing a draw, it is necessary to distinguish whether it is a lottery, a paid raffle, or a commercial promotion, because their requirements differ.

1. Identify the modality and territory

The main national framework is the Law 13/2011 on the regulation of gambling. Its application must be differentiated from regional competencies: if the activity is limited to an autonomous community, its legislation must be consulted and the corresponding permits processed. It should not be assumed that a national authorization replaces any necessary regional permits for premises or facilities.

2. If you really want to organize a lottery

The first additional provision of Law 13/2011 designates Loterías y Apuestas del Estado and ONCE as operators of the lotteries regulated by this law. Therefore, a regular gaming license does not allow circumventing this reservation.

There is an exception: the management and marketing of lotteries may be authorized for non-profit entities with a charitable purpose and occasional nature. These must prove the corresponding regulatory requirements and obtain the exceptional authorization legally provided. The charitable nature of the project alone does not equate to being authorized.

3. If what you want to hold is a raffle

For occasional or sporadic state gambling activities, article 12 requires prior authorization. The state regulatory authority is the Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling. The procedure is developed in the Royal Decree 1614/2011.

• The organizer must meet the legal access conditions and prove the required solvency.
• They cannot be affected by prohibitions to obtain authorizations, such as certain criminal records or tax and Social Security defaults.
• They must pay the corresponding fees and comply with the authorization conditions, including possible prize limits.
• If one month passes from the application without notification of its granting, the application is considered denied: silence does not allow holding the draw.

4. Obligations during the organization

In modalities subject to gambling regulations, participation prohibitions must be respected, especially those related to minors, and applicable participant protection measures. The integrity of the draw, prize payment, complaint handling, and adequate public information must also be guaranteed.

Advertising is subject to specific limits: it cannot present gambling as indispensable nor suggest it improves social recognition. If technical gaming systems subject to approval are used, the corresponding requirements must be met; organizing it online does not eliminate these obligations.

5. Taxation: not all draws are taxed equally

Article 48 distinguishes the following national cases:

• State lotteries: are not subject to the gambling activities tax.
• Raffles: the general rate is 20% on net income; those declared of public utility or charitable nature are taxed at 5%.
• Promotional combinations: the general rate is 10% of the market value of the prizes. Their exclusion from the concept of gambling does not eliminate this tax obligation.

There are specific rates for operators actually based in Ceuta and Melilla. These percentages do not replace regional rules when applicable nor do they alone resolve the winner's taxation.

In practice: first define the territory, whether participation is charged, the prize, and the frequency. Then determine the applicable regime and obtain the necessary authorization before starting: organizing gambling without it or infringing the lottery reservation constitutes a very serious offense.

In Spain, Euromillions and Eurojackpot fall under the regime of nationwide lotteries, but they have different operators and specific rules: Euromillions corresponds to Loterías y Apuestas del Estado and Eurojackpot to ONCE. To understand their operation, one must combine the general gambling legislation with the particular rules of each product and their amendments.

1. The common framework: the Gambling Regulation Law

The central regulation is the Law 13/2011, of May 27, on the regulation of gambling. Its first additional provision designates the State Society Loterías y Apuestas del Estado and ONCE as operators to market the lotteries regulated by it.

This provision allows their marketing through participations in material, computer, telematic, telephone, or interactive media, directly or through their commercial networks. It also establishes that these games are not subject to the obligations of Title III of the law: they should not be confused with the ordinary licensing regime of other games.

The second additional provision collects the particularities of ONCE. It refers to the twentieth additional provision of Law 46/1985, the General Agreement between the Government and ONCE, Royal Decree 358/1991, of March 15, on the reorganization of ONCE, its statutes, and Royal Decree 1336/2005, of November 11. The Protectorate Council exercises the control powers provided for its reserved activities, except those corresponding to the Council of Ministers.

2. Euromillions: specific game rules

Its regulatory development starts from Royal Decree 208/2004, of February 6, which modifies Royal Decree 1360/1985, of August 1, on the exploitation of the Lotería Primitiva or Number Lottery.

• The Resolution of February 6, 2004 approved the rules of the European common game Euromillions forecast contests as a modality of Lotería Primitiva or Number Lottery.
• After successive modifications, the Resolution of January 21, 2009 gathered the rules in one text and incorporated internet validation, in addition to modifying prize accumulation.

These rules distinguish between the common rules agreed by the participating lotteries —game structure and prizes— and those applicable in Spain: validation, cancellation, claims, payment, and expiration. They also regulate participation and the Superior Control Board. They are relevant regulatory precedents, but their historical economic parameters should not be used as current conditions without checking subsequent modifications.

3. Eurojackpot: the ONCE Active Game regulation

The specific reference is the Regulation governing the products of the lottery modality called "ONCE Active Game", which includes Eurojackpot. The Resolution of April 4, 2023, from the Secretary of State for Social Rights, published the approval of a new regulation.

It must be read together with the Resolution of June 22, 2026, which publishes amendments to the Coupon and Active Game regulations. Therefore, it is not enough to refer to the previous texts from 2012 or 2016.

4. Regulatory development and conclusion

The framework is completed by Royal Decree 1614/2011, of November 14, on licenses, authorizations, and gambling registers, which specifically contemplates the authorizations for marketing reserved lotteries. In short, to resolve a specific issue about bets, prizes, or claims, one must apply Law 13/2011 and the updated specific product rules, respecting the particularities of each operator.

ONCE has powers to organize, manage, exploit, and distribute its authorized lotteries throughout Spanish territory. This autonomy does not equate to a general power to regulate gambling: it acts as an operator subject to state authorizations, economic and commercial limits, and supervision by the Protectorate Council.

1. Organize the draws and define their products

Article 7 of Royal Decree 358/1991 allows its General Council to make decisions about the regime of coupon draws and other authorized modalities that respond to organizational, economic, or commercial reasons, always within the limits of the authorization.

According to the ONCE Statutes, the internal distribution of functions is as follows:

• General Council: approves the launch, modification, or suppression of products; their regulations; and agreements on sales channels and media. It may delegate powers to the Director General.
• Director General: organizes and manages exploitation and marketing. Sets calendars, schedules, and number of draws, determines issues, arranges sales means, and organizes the production or acquisition of coupons and tickets, under the corresponding supervision.

The regulations determine prices, prizes, operation, and guarantees for participants. Draws must be conducted with security, transparency, and publicity.

2. Distribute and market tickets

ONCE can choose and organize its distribution channels, within applicable authorizations and regulations. Its Statutes contemplate:

• Own network: sales agents and physical establishments of the organization.
• External commercial network: persons or entities with establishments authorized by ONCE, whose main activity may differ from lottery sales.
• Distance selling: Internet and other computer, telematic, telephone, or interactive channels provided in the corresponding regulation.

It can use preprinted tickets, issued by sales terminals or acquired via the Internet. The external network can carry out sales, distribution, and prize payment under regulatory terms. The Coupon Regulation requires marketing agreements with that network and establishes Internet sales through JuegosONCE.es.

3. Manage prizes and protect participants

Management includes applying prize programs, organizing their validation and payment, and making the corresponding tax withholdings. Online, it must verify the customer's identity and age and check participation prohibitions. Additionally, it must prevent underage gambling, excessive gambling, fraud, and money laundering.

For instant lottery, Royal Decree 1336/2005 expressly assigns ONCE its direction, organization, and exploitation. It also requires that electronic sales do not reduce the sales agent workforce and that the overall number of jobs is maintained.

4. Limits and state control

ONCE cannot unilaterally expand its authorizations. The Council of Ministers sets their scope, duration, and limits: issues, sales, prices, prizes, and special draws. Exceeding them requires prior and express authorization.

The Protectorate Council verifies the regulations and their amendments, arranges their publication in the BOE, and controls issues, collections, prizes, and compliance with authorizations. Agreements to jointly market lotteries with foreign operators also require verification and, in certain cases, specific authorization from the Council of Ministers.

Finally, exploitation serves to finance its social purposes. In instant lottery, the regulation provides that income, after deducting prizes, commercial remunerations, and management expenses, is allocated to the same purposes and obligations as other authorized modalities.