China July 2026 Lottery Sales Surge 68.6% on World Cup Betting
China's Ministry of Finance reported July 2026 lottery sales of RMB 87.571 billion, up 68.6% year on year, driven by the FIFA World Cup. Sports lottery sales jumped 111.5% to RMB 71.94 billion, while welfare lottery fell 12.8% to RMB 15.631 billion. June and July combined sales rose about 54% to RMB 163.6 billion, with the World Cup contributing over RMB 50 billion. For January-July, total sales reached RMB 414.445 billion, up 12.1%.
The Ministry of Finance released national lottery sales data for July 2026 on August 26. In July, total lottery sales reached RMB 87.571 billion, an increase of RMB 35.622 billion, or 68.6% year on year. Welfare lottery institutions sold RMB 15.631 billion, down RMB 2.296 billion, a decrease of 12.8%; sports lottery institutions sold RMB 71.94 billion, up RMB 37.918 billion, an increase of 111.5%.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico ran from June 12 to July 20. During the tournament, sales of sports lottery (guess-type) products grew rapidly, lifting overall lottery revenue. The ministry explained that the faster growth in June and July was mainly due to the football World Cup boosting guess-type lottery sales. In June, national lottery sales were RMB 75.978 billion, up 39.5%. Combined June and July sales totalled about RMB 163.6 billion, an increase of about RMB 57.1 billion from the same period in 2025, up about 54%. The World Cup contributed more than RMB 50 billion to lottery sales during the period. Some sports lottery outlets saw notable sales increases; a store in Wuhan reported sales about three times its normal level.
By category, in June and July 2026, sports lottery institutions sold about RMB 131.2 billion in total, accounting for roughly 80% of national lottery sales, up about 86% from the same period in 2025. Guess-type lottery sales reached about RMB 108.1 billion, up about 134% year on year. On a cumulative basis, from January to July 2026, national lottery sales totalled RMB 414.445 billion, an increase of RMB 44.642 billion, or 12.1%. Welfare lottery institutions sold RMB 115.72 billion, down RMB 9.317 billion, a decrease of 7.5%; sports lottery institutions sold RMB 298.725 billion, up RMB 53.96 billion, an increase of 22.0%.