Inklingo

How to Say "lottery" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “lottery” is “lotería” — use 'lotería' for the general concept of a lottery game of chance or a lottery ticket, especially in Spain and most of Latin America..

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lotería

nounA1general
Use 'lotería' for the general concept of a lottery game of chance or a lottery ticket, especially in Spain and most of Latin America.

Examples

Compramos un billete de lotería para el sorteo de Navidad.

We bought a lottery ticket for the Christmas draw.

polla

/POY-yah//ˈpoʝa/

nounB1informal
Use 'polla' specifically for a betting pool or office lottery, particularly common in Chile, often related to sports.
A pile of colorful poker chips and gold coins on a green felt table.

Examples

Hicimos una polla en la oficina para el partido de fútbol.

We started a betting pool at the office for the soccer game.

Me gané la polla del domingo.

I won the Sunday jackpot.

Tengo que comprar mi boleto de la Polla Chilena.

I have to buy my ticket for the Chilean lottery.

Using 'la' with Polla

Even though this word ends in 'a' and is feminine, it is always used with 'la'. In a betting context, it refers to the collective pot of money.

Regional Confusion

Mistake: “Using this word in Spain to talk about a bet.”

Correction: In Spain, use 'porra' or 'apuesta.' Using 'polla' there will likely be misunderstood as a vulgarity.

General vs. Specific Usage

The most common mistake is using 'polla' outside of its specific regional context (like Chile) or for a general lottery. Always default to 'lotería' unless you are certain 'polla' is the correct term for a betting pool in that specific region.

Related Translations

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