Lottery sales in mainland China reached RMB178.41 billion (US$28.74 billion) in the first six months of the year, up 19.2 percent from a year before, show data released on July 15 by the Ministry of Finance.
The growth was partially fuelled by a jump of 45.7 percent year-on-year in lottery sales during June, to MOP36.05 billion. That was mostly due to a 83-percent increase in sports lottery sales from the year prior period, to RMB19.24 billion, fuelled by the FIFA World Cup, the Ministry of Finance said. The tournament took place between June 12 and July 13.
Sports lottery sales rose by 24.1 percent in the first half of 2014 in comparison with a year before, reaching RMB79.91 billion. Welfare lottery sales increased by 15.5 percent during the same period, to RMB98.50 billion.
Data from the Ministry of Finance show lottery sales in all provinces of mainland China increased during the first half of the 2014 in comparison with one year before.
Regulated lottery products were first introduced in mainland China in 1987. There are only two lottery operators in the market, the China Welfare Lottery Issuance and Administration Centre and the China Sports Lottery Administration Centre. Both are government-run.
