China's lottery sales hit eight-month low at $6.65 billion despite a 59.3% year-on-year surge

Lottery ticket sales in China experienced a notable surge of 59.3% year on year, reaching 47.34 billion yuan (approximately $6.65 billion) in October. This figure, however, marks the lowest in eight months, reflecting a 10.3% decline from the 52.77 billion yuan ($7.4 billion) reported in September and the lowest monthly total since February's 41.83 billion yuan ($5.85 billion).

Data from the Ministry of Finance reveals that lottery tickets supporting the country's welfare system achieved sales of 15.49 billion yuan ($2.17 billion) in October, indicating a 40.9% increase, or approximately 4.5 billion yuan ($634 million), compared to the same period last year. Additionally, sales of lottery tickets contributing to the sports industry showed a significant year-on-year increase of 70.1%, reaching over 31.85 billion yuan ($4.46 billion).

In the first ten months of 2023, China's total lottery ticket sales amounted to 475.88 billion yuan ($66.62 billion), reflecting a substantial year-on-year growth of 53%. 
As per China's lottery management rules, funds generated from ticket sales are allocated for administrative expenses, public welfare projects, and prize funding.

Betting games maintained their status as the most popular choice among players in October, accounting for 18.98 billion yuan ($2.65 billion) in sales, a notable increase of 67.4%. Digital lottery sales also saw a 15.0% rise, reaching 13.70 billion yuan ($1.92 billion) during the month.

The instant lottery market exhibited the highest growth, reporting a remarkable year-on-year sales increase of 167.6% at 11.44 billion yuan ($1.6 billion) in October. Keno games sales rose by 47.1% to 3.22 billion yuan ($454 million), while video lottery sales experienced an 8% climb to 90,000 yuan ($12,670).

Geographically, all provinces in China recorded growth in lottery sales during the month.