Video lottery sales plummet in China

China’s total lottery sales dropped 22 per cent year on year between January and November 2020.

China.- Lottery sales dropped 4.6 per cent year-on-year in November, to CNY36.04bn (US$5.58bn).

The country’s Ministry of Finance attributed the fall to video lottery sales, which plummeted 80 per cent during the period to just CNY1,600 (US$247).

Sports lottery sales represented CNY21.02bn (US$3.25bn) of the total but were down 0.2 per cent since compared with November 2019.

Digital sports lottery sales were up 10.3 per cent during the period, while sales of sports betting games dropped 11.4 per cent.

The welfare lottery segment reported CNY15.02bn (US$2.32bn) representing a 10.1 per cent year-on-year decline.

Instant win games sales grew 21.3 per cent year-on-year to CNY1.6bn (US$247bn). Keno reported the biggest growth and amounted to CNY3.4m (US$526,146)

Between January and November of 2020, lottery sales dropped 22 per cent compared with the same period in 2019, and totalled CNY297.44bn (US$46bn).  

Welfare lottery sales were down 25.1 per cent and sports lottery sales 19.4 per cent during the same period.

New limits on sports lotteries

As of 1 November 2020, every Chinese province, autonomous region or municipality will be allowed to operate only one quick-draw for virtual sports lotteries. 

A recent joint notice from the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the General Administration of Sport announced the restrictions on sales of quick-draw welfare lottery games and high frequency sports lottery games. 

After the 2021 annual Spring Festival holiday, all high-frequency quick-open games will be stopped.