Robust sports betting lifts Chinese lottery figures in September

Robust sports betting lifts Chinese lottery figures in September

The popularity of sports betting in China is driving Chinese lottery sales upward, according to the latest official data from the country’s Ministry of Finance.

Data showed that sales of official lottery products in mainland China grew 15.1 percent to an estimated CNY36.93 billion (US$5.56 billion) in September.

Robust sports betting lifts Chinese lottery figures in SeptemberThe positive numbers were driven by the 24.4 percent rise in sales of sports lottery tickets. According to the Ministry, sports lottery tickets for September was at CNY19.32 billion.

This brings total sports lottery ticket sales for the January to September period to CNY151.67 billion ($22.82 billion), an increase of 9.9 percent.

Welfare lottery sales also grew 6.5 percent to CNY17.61 billion ($2.65 billion) in September compared to the same period last year. For the nine month ending in September 30, Welfare lottery sales increased by 4.8 percent year-on-year to reach about CNY158.61 billion ($23.86 billion).

Overall year-to-date lottery sales increased by 7.3 percent to CNY310.78 billion ($46.75 billion).

Of the 31 provinces and cities of mainland China authorized to sell lottery tickets, the ministry recorded positive sales in 28 jurisdictions.

Total lottery sales in Fujian province grew nearly 200 percent to approximately CNY1.90 billion ($285.82 million) while in Guangdong province, total lottery ticket sales are up 21.6 percent year-on-year to CNY 3.91 billion ($588.18 million).

Sales have been robust in Guangdong in January to September period. Data showed that total lottery ticket sales in Guangdong rose 5.6 percent to CNY30.64 billion ($4.61 billion), making it mainland China’s single-province market for lottery products.

Jiangsu province’s total lottery ticket sales grew 5.5 percent to CNY25.05 billion, while Shandong province posted ticket sales worth nearly CNY24.60 billion, an increase of 4.9 percent from the same period last year.