Chinese lottery sales down 4.8% in May

Sales reached CNY47.62bn (US$6.68bn).

China.- The Ministry of Finance has reported that lottery ticket sales reached CNY47.62bn (US$6.68bn) in May, down 4.8 per cent year-on-year. Welfare Lottery sales were CNY17.06bn (US$2.38bn), up 4.1 per cent, while sports lottery sales fell 9.1 per cent to CNY30.56bn (US$4.28bn). 

Sales are believed to have dropped due to fewer big sporting events and the high comparison base last year. Cumulatively, Chinese lottery sales for the first five months of the year were up 12.2 per cent in year-on-year terms at CNY252.54bn (US$35.33bn). 

For full-year 2023, lottery sales were CNY579.7bn (US$81.64bn), a rise of 36.5 per cent. The sales of tickets for the welfare system increased by 31.3 per cent to CNY194.44bn while sports lottery sales rose by 39.3 per cent to CNY385.26bn.