The FIFA World Cup has led Chinese football fans into a luck-seeking frenzy, with national lottery ticket sales reportedly times higher than usual.
A volatile tournament marked by games like the goalless draw between England and Ghana, and the earlier draw between Spain and Cabo Verde, has not stopped lottery Chinese shops from making monthly sales up to four times their average.
The Football Lottery, which is run by China’s Sports Lottery (CSL), has just surpassed 6.8bn yuan ($950m), with some retailers declaring daily revenues of 100,000 yuan (£11,100) – four times higher than normal, according to the South China Morning Post.
Partnering CSL shops bag 8% in commission from every ticket sale.
The Football Lottery was introduced in 2009 as a state-run sports betting game that allows players to wager on the outcome of domestic and international football fixtures.
Proceeds generated from it are used to fund public welfare, social projects, and sports infrastructure.
“Traffic has increased significantly, and business is improving every day,” the Morning Post quoted one owner as saying. “Almost everyone coming in now is buying football lottery tickets. Most spend between 20 and 200 yuan, but a few place bets worth thousands or even tens of thousands.”
Based on regular daily sales of around 20,000 yuan in a week – climbing up to 30,000 yuan during weekends – the same owner added that they expect their monthly turnover to almost triple during the World Cup, reaching around 600,000 yuan compared to the usual 200,000-300,000 yuan.
Bigger retail outlets that carry a more premium brand identity have reported daily sales of 100,000 yuan, the Morning Post added, with their monthly volumes hitting 3m yuan – only expected to increase as the tournament goes on.