Football lottery could be allowed in China

The Chinese government might soon open up to a domestic football lottery following the sport’s continuous growth in the country.

China.- Chinese football keeps growing as investments pour down and the government may soon allow its inclusion to the country’s sports lottery. Following Betting on Football 2017, rumour has it that local authorities are assessing the possibility of including the Chinese Super League (CSL) to the sports betting market.

As reported by Totally Gaming, consultant at 12Bet Rory Anderson asked three leading Chinese sports betting industry authorities to weigh in what the CSL could achieve within the global sports betting market. In addition, some executives at betting companies think that there’s a real chance that a football lottery might happen.

Goldblue CEO Andre Rodrigues says it should be “taken seriously” and added that “it’s going to be a long time before we see a derby in Guangzhou compete with a Manchester derby, but we are seeing rapid growth in the money being spent, the salaries and the transfers.” The executive at the Maltese investment firm considered the timing of CSL’s games broadcasts to be “great for Europeans, as the games are played early morning and midday.”

Social gaming company TCM Inplay CEO, Jim Yu, highlighted CSL’s growth and presence in the football world: “International clubs go to China every summer. Chinese sponsors pay a lot of money for teams to play in the country. For example, the Milan derby happens in the Bird’s Nest in Beijing every year, along with numerous international friendlies,” he said.

Yu also noted that “the only legal betting activity in China is sports lottery,” and added: “Operators can offer every football league in the world, but no Chinese leagues. This is due to perceived match fixing and corruption. But the government is looking into providing a lottery purchase on the domestic Chinese league.”

“There are a lot of investment companies putting money into buying football clubs around the world, creating football academies in China and building up the industry. It’s picking up.”

Owner and managing director at Ogoun Consulting Nelson Ferrigni also believes that a Chinese football lottery is a matter of time and said: “It’s also important to note that President Xi Jinping loves football. It’s something that he’s pushing.”