China's lottery sales surge 50.4% in first half of 2023

BEIJING -- China's lottery ticket sales surged 50.4 percent year-on-year to about 273.9 billion yuan ($38.35 billion) in the first half of 2023, according to data from the Ministry of Finance.

Sales of lottery tickets to support the welfare system stood at approximately 89.82 billion yuan during the period, an increase of 20 percent year-on-year, the data revealed.

Lottery tickets sold to support the sports industry surged 71.7 percent year-on-year to 184.08 billion yuan, mainly driven by sports events and lottery games promotion, the ministry said.

In June alone, sales of lottery tickets in China reached 48.73 billion yuan, up 52.4 percent year-on-year.

Under China's lottery management rules, funds raised from ticket sales are used for administrative expenses and public welfare projects, as well as to fund prizes.