Games - ONCE

	Games - ONCE

ONCE (pronounced ), or Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles, is a Spanish national charity lottery founded on December 13 1938 to raise funds and provide services for the blind. The word once in the Spanish language means eleven.

ONCE also sponsored one of the leading cycling teams in the Tour de France. After the 2003 season they ceased sponsorship of the team, which for years was recognised as one of the best in cycling. In 2004, the team was continued as Liberty Seguros-Würth team.

In 1988 ONCE established the foundation Fundación ONCE to promote sporting events for people of any disability group. The foundation also provides professional training and employment, works to eliminate architectural, urban and communication barriers and promotes 'Digital Solidarity' - web-based services for people with disabilities.

The Cupón

One of the most social aspects of ONCE, is the lottery known as "Cupón". This is the main way which ONCE raises its funds and can carry huge monetary prizes, tax-free for special privilege. The draw has different coupons for different days of the week, and has special coupons with higher prizes, usually via season, Spring (Primavera), Summer (Verano) and so on. The draw occurs every night on the Spanish television channel Antena3.

The basic designs stay the same on each day, but the theme of the Coupon changes, to correspond to current events, for example, when the Euro became legal tender. Due to this, collecting old coupons has become a hobby for some Coupon-buyers in Spain.

How it works

The Coupon is drawn as a 5-digit number and a Series Number. Prizes vary from how many of the 5 digits your have, or the amount of numbers you have plus the Series number. The digits have to be in order to win, from left to right. The lowest prize is effectively a refund of 1,50€, that was used to purchase your ticket.

Where to buy

ONCE Coupons are sold in ONCE Kiosks. These are green boxes (can sometimes be a different colour), and can be clearly identified by the word "ONCE", which can be found in public areas, like airports, parks and supermarkets. Stands are set-up in some areas. The kiosks are mainly used as a way to employ the blind or partially-blind, which is one of the main goals of ONCE.

Cupón Diario

El Cupón Diario (Daily coupon) is drawn daily and is available for 1,00€, between Monday and Friday. Prizes are broken down as follows:

1,50€ prize for last or first numbers, 540,000 Prizes

Companies

In the 1980s, the managers of the affluent ONCE started a policy of profit-oriented investment. One of the acquisitions was a sizeable participation in the Spanish private TV channel Telecinco and the radio network Onda Cero ("Wave Zero", notice also the ONda CEro acronym). The most visible effect was the broadcast of the daily lotting, the Telecupón, presented by the retired actress Carmen Sevilla. Critics pointed the paradox of blind people like Manuel Durán leading a TV channel. There were also critics that it was a manoeuvre of the then-ruling Spanish Socialist Workers Party to indirectly control the media.

Later management teams have divested from Telecinco.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for ONCE ]

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