Lottery sales in China hit RMB 34.1b (US $5.49b) in November, a gain of 24.4% over the same month last year. According to the Ministry of Finance, welfare lottery sales rose 18.8% to RMB 18.2b while sports lottery sales rose 31.6% to RMB 15.9b.
Through the first 11 months of 2014, total lottery sales are up 24.1% to RMB 346.2b, with welfare lottery sales rising 17.3% to RMB 186.4b and sports lottery improving 33% to RMB 159.8b. Last year’s sales total of RMB 309b was surpassed in the month of October, so all that’s left to learn is how big the annual improvement will prove.
Hong Kong-listed lottery technology provider China LotSynergy Holdings has had a busy week, announcing a new terminal supply deal and a major acquisition. The first deal involved its Lottnal subsidiary, which won a bid to supply sports lottery terminals to the Shanxi Sports Lottery Administration Center. Shanxi province ranked sixth in the nation for sales growth in 2013, with sales rising 54% year-on-year. China LotSynergy now supplies lottery terminals to nine Chinese provinces.
China LotSynergy also announced that its Beijing Kexun Tiandi Technology subsidiary had paid RMB 60m ($9.7m) to acquire lottery system provider Beijing Bestinfo Cyber Technology. Bestinfo, which established the first computer ticket game in Guangdong province, specializes in research and development of lottery transaction and management systems.
Not to be outdone, AIM-listed DJI Holdings inked a deal to supply a sales-assisting administration system for the Heilongjiang Sports Lottery Administration Center. DJI said the intention was to “create a link between the traditional offline lottery sales and the fast growing online lottery channel by increasing access and availability of lottery games for players.” The deal was done through DJI subsidiary Harbin Tengcai Technology Development Co.
DJI also announced that its high-frequency virtual horseracing game had proceeded to the final pre-application stage and will now be field-tested in 40 lottery outlets in Heilongjiang province early in the new year.
