This Day, That Year

Item from April 24, 1994, in China Daily: A vendor in Guangzhou awaits buyers of sports lottery tickets issued by local organizations in Guangdong province. One of his signs says, "1.7million yuan ready for sports lottery ticket buyers."

For speculators obsessed with pie-in-the-sky riches, now comes a ray of hope.

China is planning to issue up to 1 billion yuan worth of sports lottery tickets in the next two years to help finance large sporting events... Since 1984, more than 20 provinces and cities have organized different kinds of regional sports lotteries.