China’s booming lotteries generated 309.33 billion yuan (US$50.66 billion) in revenue in 2013, an increase of 18.3% over 2012.
The official Xinhua news agency said Welfare Lottery sales amounted to 176.53 billion yuan, an increase of 16.9%. Sports Lottery sales rose 20.2% to 132.8 billion.
The Ministry of Finance attributed the increases to new products, notably the promotion of quiz-style games, and more outlets for online games.
Sales in December totaled 30.28 billion yuan, up 13% year on year. The Welfare Lottery accounted for 17.63 billion yuan, a 17.1% increase. Sports Lottery sales were up 7.7% to 12.64 billion.