LOTTERIES SENEGAL African migrants hit it big in Spanish lottery 2 years ago Iwo Bulski Post Views: 761 About 35 African migrants, including at least one rescued at sea from an overcrowded wooden boat, are among the top prize winners of Spain’s Christmas lottery, according to the owner of the lottery agency that sold more than 1,000 tickets that shelled out 400,000 euros ($438,000) each. The winners who bought the tickets in the southern coastal city of Roquetas de Mar included migrants from Senegal, Mali and Morocco, agency owner Jose Martin told La Voz de Almeria newspaper in a story published Thursday. Among them was a Senegalese man named Ngame who told Spanish media that he and his wife were rescued by Spain’s coast guard in 2007 when their boat with about 65 people aboard was traveling from Africa’s western coast toward Spain’s Canary Islands. Outside the lottery agency, Ngame was in tears as he clutched a photocopy of his winning ticket with the number 79,140. He thanked Spain for saving his life and giving him the chance to play the country’s world famous lottery. “Today I thank the Spanish government, the Spaniards too,” Ngame told Ondacero on radio. “They saved us when we were in the middle of the sea.” Roquetas de Mar is in Almeria province, where many migrants toil in greenhouses as vegetable and fruit laborers. The area also relies heavily on tourism, but unemployment is 31 one percent — much higher than the already sky-high national rate of 21 percent. Ngame did not give his last name to reporters but said life has been difficult for him and his wife since they arrived in Almeria. They had not decided how they would use the jackpot. “I’m not sure,” he said. “It’s too soon to decide. We have to talk and see.” Agency owner Martin said some of the migrants weren’t sure how they could collect their winnings, so he accompanied them to their bank branches to explain to them what to do. Though other lotteries offer larger top prizes, Spain’s El Gordo (The Fat One) is the world’s richest. It unites the country because almost everyone takes part. There are 24 million prizes in all for the country with a population of 47 million — and players in droves form pools with friends, family and colleagues to buy the 20-euro tickets. About Post Author Iwo Bulski Issues related to the gambling business is engaged in more than 30 years. My empirical experience gives me the opportunity to present events and companies from this business with full knowledge and industry knowledge. See author's posts Iwo BulskiIssues related to the gambling business is engaged in more than 30 years. My empirical experience gives me the opportunity to present events and companies from this business with full knowledge and industry knowledge. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Print Tags: loteries, migrants, Senegal, Spain Continue Reading Previous National Lottery Regulatory Commission Debunk Fake Recruitment ExerciseNext Winning Responsibly: BETWINNER and OneLife Rally More Stories GHANA LOTTERIES Maltese Minister of Foreign Affairs & Trade visits NLA 6 days ago Szarlot LOTTERIES NIGERIA How LuckyMe Nigeria is adding value to lives 7 days ago Samuel KENYA LOTTERIES State set to start national lottery to fund sports, arts 1 week ago Samuel LOTTERIES NIGERIA NCC, Lottery Commission renew MoU to stop unapproved lotteries in telecoms 2 weeks ago Samuel LOTTERIES SOUTH AFRICA First Powerball winner of 2023 bags R72.9m 3 weeks ago Szarlot LOTTERIES South Africa Big news as the US Mega Millions rolled over to a massive R18.7 billion! 3 weeks ago Samuel LOTTERIES NIGERIA Olamide Unveiled as National Lottery Ambassador 4 weeks ago Samuel LOTTERIES SOUTH AFRICA Lottoland countdown continues to R10-billion Mega 2023 new year lottery draw 1 month ago Samuel LOTTERIES SOUTH AFRICA Are Scratch Off Tickets Legal In South Africa? 1 month ago Samuel LOTTERIES Mega Millions Tuesday jackpot surpasses estimated $565M 1 month ago Samuel LOTTERIES NIGERIA NLN sure of producing millionaires in Nigeria, unveils ambassador 1 month ago Samuel LOTTERIES NIGERIA Lottery firm rewards subscribers with car, phone gifts 1 month ago Samuel Leave a Reply Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Email * Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.