Mainland China’s total sales from official lottery products increased by 7.3 percent in full year 2016 to approximately RMB394.64 billion (US$57.53 billion), according to official data from the country’s Ministry of Finance.
Welfare lottery sales totalled RMB206.49 billion in the 12 months to December 31, up by 2.5 percent in year-on-year terms, while sports lottery sales jumped 13.1 percent year-on-year to RMB188.15 billion.
In 2016, sales were up in all but four of the 31 provinces and cities of mainland China authorised to sell lottery tickets. Strong nominal growth was recorded in Guangdong, Hubei, Hunan, Henan and Yunnan.
Combined sales for the two lottery systems in December amounted to RMB36.59 billion, a year-on-year increase of 7.2 percent. Welfare lottery sales increased by 4.0 percent to reach about RMB19.98 billion, while sales of sports lottery products rose by 11.4 percent to RMB16.61 billion.
Online sales of mainland China lottery products are currently suspended, a move described by the authorities as temporary but which has hit several companies.
