China recorded lottery sales of 63.985 billion yuan (RMB), equivalent to €8.49 billion, in August 2026, representing a 19.8% year-on-year increase, driven by sports betting linked to the FIFA World Cup. The figures, reported by Gaming Intelligence on October 9, confirm the expansion of the state-controlled lottery market despite declining sales across other categories.
- World Cup drives legal betting in China to US$11.6 billion
The Ministry of Finance, headed by Lan Fo’an, published its official report on September 23, confirming an increase of 10.584 billion yuan compared with August 2025. China Sports Lottery sales reached 48.176 billion yuan (+33.4%), while China Welfare Lottery declined by 8.5% to 15.809 billion yuan.
Lan Fo’an
Sports prediction games led growth with 36.810 billion yuan (+53.9%), accounting for 57.5% of the market. Number-based lottery sales fell by 0.4% to 14.982 billion yuan, instant lottery tickets declined by 18.2% to 8.765 billion yuan, and Keno dropped by 8% to 3.428 billion yuan.
From January through August, nationwide lottery sales totaled 478.431 billion yuan (+13%). Sports lotteries contributed 346.901 billion yuan (+23.5%), while welfare lotteries generated 131.529 billion yuan (−7.6%). July had recorded sales of 87.571 billion yuan, representing a 68.6% year-on-year increase.
All 31 provincial-level divisions reported growth during August, led in absolute terms by Henan (+1.160 billion yuan), Shandong (+1.060 billion yuan), Zhejiang (+820 million yuan), and Guangdong (+780 million yuan). Chongqing was the only region to record a decline in cumulative sales for the year.
Gao Zhidan
The industry operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Finance, the General Administration of Sport, headed by Gao Zhidan, and the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Zhang Jianhua heads the China Sports Lottery Administration Center.
State Council Decree No. 554 of 2009 maintains state authorization over lottery issuance. During 2026, the government approved the withdrawal of 48 instant lottery games in April and the introduction of 19 new products in July, while authorities strengthened commercial and financial oversight.
