Sales for November in the lottery industry experienced a decline, dropping from CNY37.77bn to CNY36.04bn (£4.08bn/€4.54bn/$5.58bn). This decrease was primarily driven by a 0.2% drop in sales from the China Sports Lottery, amounting to CNY21.02bn, and a significant 10.1% year-on-year decrease in sales from the Welfare Lottery, totaling CNY15.02bn.
Digital sales for the Sports Lottery, on the other hand, showed positive growth of 10.3% to reach CNY9.8bn, making them the preferred choice among players. Sales for sports betting games, however, experienced an 11.4% decline, amounting to CNY9.6bn. Instant win games displayed strong performance with a 21.3% increase in sales, reaching CNY1.6bn. Video lottery sales, on the contrary, suffered an 80.0% plunge, amounting to CNY1,600.
In the case of the Welfare Lottery, video lottery sales were completely wiped out in November, adversely impacting its overall sales for the month. However, the digital sales channel witnessed growth, reaching CNY13.10bn. Instants also performed well, generating sales of CNY1.57bn, indicating a 1.2% increase. The most significant growth was observed in keno, with customers spending CNY3.4m compared to CNY154,400 in the previous year.
Fourteen provinces reported year-on-year growth in sales for November, with Guangdong, Xinjiang, and Guizhou leading the pack. So far this year, lottery sales amount to CNY297.44bn, reflecting a 22.0% decrease compared to 2019. The Welfare Lottery accounts for CNY129.22bn of the total sales, showing a 25.1% decline, while the Sports Lottery agencies reported sales of CNY168.22bn, representing a 19.4% decrease.
The Chinese government’s announcement in October 2020 regarding the cessation of high-frequency or quick-draw games in the lottery market will bring about significant changes. Provincial lotteries have already been limited to one high-frequency game since November 1st of the previous year, and the final game in this category will be discontinued during the New Year holiday in February.
