China Lottery Sales Rise 27.3% In September As Sports Lottery Drives Growth

China’s lottery sales rose 27.3% year on year to RMB67.389 billion ($10.04 billion) in September 2026, according to the Ministry of Finance.

Sports lottery products drove most of the increase, with the ministry attributing part of the growth to the FIFA World Cup’s sustained impact. Welfare lottery sales declined during the month, creating a widening gap between the two segments.  

Sports Lottery Sales Account For Most Of China’s September Growth

Sports lottery sales reached RMB50.82 billion in September, compared with RMB16.569 billion for welfare lotteries. Conversely, sports betting tickets generated RMB39.386 billion, representing 58.4% of total lottery sales. 

This category increased 73.1% year on year, making it the fastest-growing major lottery product during the month. The Ministry of Finance said the World Cup has buoyed sports lottery activity, although the sports lottery figures included products linked to competitions beyond a single tournament.

Lottery-type products generated RMB13.942 billion, or 20.7% of total sales, but declined 7.3% year on year. Instant lottery sales fell 14.9% to RMB9.967 billion, while keno products increased 19.5% to RMB4.094 billion. Video lottery sales dropped to RMB53 million. 

Cumulative Lottery Sales Reach RMB545.82 Billion During The First Nine Months

China’s lottery market recorded RMB545.82 billion in sales between January and September, an increase of 14.6% compared with the same period last year. 

Sports lottery organisations accounted for RMB397.721 billion, up 25.7% year on year. Welfare lottery organisations generated RMB148.099 billion, down 7.3%.

These figures suggest that September’s performance was part of an upward trend rather than being a single-month spike. Sports lottery products remained the main contributor to cumulative growth, while welfare lottery sales weakened.

All 31 Provinces Report Annual Growth In September

The Ministry of Finance reported year-on-year lottery sales growth across all 31 provinces during September. Shandong recorded the largest increase, with ticket sales rising by RMB1.6 billion. Henan followed with a gain of RMB1.43 billion, while Zhejiang and Jiangsu recorded increases of RMB1.16 billion and RMB1.05 billion respectively.

The nationwide growth indicates that the September increase was broadly distributed, instead of being concentrated in a small number of regions.

China’s September results show that sports lottery products are carrying the wider market, with international football providing a strong demand catalyst. The decline in welfare lottery sales and several traditional product categories suggests that growth is not evenly distributed. Future performance will depend majorly on the influence of major sports tournaments.