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China’s lottery industry has enjoyed two consecutive months of year-on-year growth after a seven-month downturn, although sales in Shanghai plummeted 95 percent amid a strict pandemic lockdown.
Sales in China’s dual mode lottery industry increased by a combined 6.8 percent year-on-year to 31.072bn yuan ($4.7bn), according to Ministry of Finance figures released on Monday (May 30).
The growth was smaller than March’s combined year-on-year jump of 10.5 percent, but this consecutive growth will encourage a market still navigating coronavirus pandemic impacts and adjusting to central government crackdowns on high-turnover products and corrupt officials.
Prior to March, the industry had not recorded combined year-on-year growth since July 2021.
However, April’s result is also notable for recording a recovery in Sports Lottery sales, which have struggled in 2022 after driving growth for several years.
Sports Lottery sales rose 6.5 percent year-on-year to 19.102bn yuan, slightly behind Welfare Lottery growth of 7.2 percent to 11.97bn yuan, and tipping cumulative Sports Lottery sales to marginal growth of 0.3 percent against the first four months of 2021.
Sports betting, which covers the bulk of Sports Lottery sales, recorded 11.1 percent year-on-year growth to 10.665bn yuan.
But the finance ministry said sales in the Welfare Lottery grew by only 1.2 percent year-on-year, and that the 7.2 percent jump in Welfare Lottery sales overall relied on a 46.7 percent jump in sales of traditionally unpopular keno products.
The year 2021 recorded an 11.8 percent increase in growth to 373.29bn ($56.1bn today; $59bn at year’s end), but building on this growth has been uneven because of the second half’s retreat and a punishing pandemic lockdown in some locations, particularly Shanghai and northeastern Jilin Province.
In April, Shanghai suffered a 91 percent fall in Welfare Lottery sales and a 98 percent slump in Sports Lottery sales, combining for a 95 percent slide overall in one of the nation’s larger markets.
Jilin sank 43 percent because of restrictions in several cities that ended mid-month.
However, Shanghai is set to end the most disruptive of its pandemic restrictions this week, auguring a recovery for lottery revenue.
