China's lottery ticket sales reached 373.29 billion yuan (about 58.79 billion U.S. dollars) in 2021, up 11.8 percent year on year, data from the Ministry of Finance showed.
Sales of lottery tickets to support China's welfare system totaled 142.26 billion yuan last year, while sales of lottery tickets to support the country's sports industry stood at 231.03 billion yuan, according to the ministry.
In December 2021, total lottery sales amounted to 32.26 billion yuan, down 11.7 percent year on year.
Under China's lottery management rules, funds raised from ticket sales are used for administrative expenses, public welfare projects and prize winnings.