Mainland China’s total official lottery sales for February fell 9.4 percent year-on-year to approximately RMB22.45 billion (US$3.45 billion), according to official data from the country’s Ministry of Finance.
Welfare lottery sales totalled RMB12.34 billion in February, down by 5.2 percent from the prior-year period, while sports lottery sales fell 14.1 percent year-on-year to RMB10.11 billion.
There is no explanation for the fall seen in the lottery sales stated in the official release from the ministry. But sales of all lottery types, except for instant lottery, were suspended during the week-long holiday for Chinese New Year which started on February 7, as required by the Chinese authorities.
In February, lottery ticket sales were up year-on-year in 16 of the 31 provinces and cities of mainland China authorised to sell such products. Most of the 16 provinces recording a rise in sales saw double-digit advances, according to official data.
The ministry data also provided year-on-year comparisons for aggregate sales in the first two months of the year. Guangdong province reported the highest aggregate sales in January and February for the welfare lottery, amounting to approximately RMB2.97 billion. It nonetheless represented a decline in welfare lottery sales for the province amounting to 5.7 percent when compared to a year earlier.
Guangdong also sold the highest cash value of sports lottery tickets in the first two months, with sales reaching RMB2.45 billion, up by 3.1 percent from the prior-year period. Jiangsu and Shandong ranked second and third in terms of sales of sports lottery tickets; each province with aggregate sales above RMB2 billion.
Sales of lottery products in Beijing and Shanghai fell by 30.3 percent and 53 percent respectively in the first two months of the year.
Combined lottery sales in the first two months of this year amounted to approximately RMB55.1 billion, a year-on-year fall of 13.9 percent. Welfare lottery sales dipped by 6.8 percent to RMB30.47 billion, whiles sales of sports lottery products decreased by 21.4 percent to RMB24.63 billion.
