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Pasapalabra’s Record Jackpot Win Triggers Dispute Over Taxes and Fairness

Manu Pascual questions why contest winnings are taxed more heavily than lottery payouts.

Overview

  • After Rosa Rodríguez won €2,716,000 by completing El Rosco with the surname of 1968 NFL MVP Earl Morrall, online debate erupted over whether her pronunciation matched the written answer.
  • Presenter Roberto Leal and the production defended the adjudication, arguing the pronunciation was acceptable, even as viewers cited past eliminations for minor errors.
  • Pascual, who finished with €270,600 in earnings, argued that taxing study-earned prizes more than lottery winnings is inequitable, noting lottery prizes have a 20% withholding with an exemption threshold.
  • Coverage in Spain reports Rodríguez will face a substantial tax bill—over €1.2 million—leaving her with a little more than €1.5 million net, and she has said the transfer will take two to three months.
  • Former standout Orestes Barbero criticized increasingly obscure Rosco definitions and called for updating prize levels that have been largely unchanged since 2000, a view Pascual also echoed; Antena 3 has already introduced new contestants and rotating celebrity guests.