Mainland China’s sales of official lottery products in May rose by 7.9 percent from the prior-year period to CNY40.69 billion (US$6.13 billion), according to the latest data from the country’s Ministry of Finance. That was a slowing from the 9-percent increase seen in the official lottery sales reached in April.
In May, welfare lottery sales increased by 7.3 percent year-on-year, to CNY19.56 billion, while sports lottery sales rose by 8.6 percent to approximately CNY21.13 billion, according to official data.
For the first five months of 2018, total sales of lottery products increased by 9.0 percent year-on-year, to approximately CNY186.57 billion. Welfare lottery sales totalled CNY91.51 billion in the five months to May 31, up by 3.7 percent from the prior-year period, while sports lottery sales increased by 14.7 percent year-on-year to CNY95.06 billion.
In May, sales were up in 27 of the 31 provinces and municipalities of mainland China authorised to sell lottery tickets.
Guangdong continues to be the leading lottery market in mainland China. Combined sales of welfare and sports lottery tickets reached nearly CNY18.16 billion in the January to May period, up 8.9 percent from a year earlier.
Guangdong was followed by Jiangsu province, where total lottery ticket sales for the first five months of this year were approximately CNY15.25 billion, an increase of 13.3 percent year-on-year. Shandong province in eastern China was ranked third, with ticket sales reaching approximately CNY13.94 billion, up 0.3 percent from a year earlier, according to official data.
