The upcoming draw of the China Welfare Lottery could potentially host one of its largest top prizes this Wednesday. As per reports from the China News Service, the lottery’s recent edition posted a first prize exceeding RMB700 million ($99 million), with a winning bet valued at RMB680 million ($97 million) sold at a single outlet in Guizhou Province.
The first-prize-winning bets tallied 136, translating the win for a unique bet to around RMB5.2 million ($727,000). A staggering 134 of these winning bets originated from Guizhou. Speculations in the Chinese press hint that a majority of the winning bets might belong to one person, suggesting that the victor could secure a colossal prize exceeding $97 million.
Official figures reveal that the overall sales of China’s lottery shot to RMB579.7 billion ($82 billion) in 2023, marking a 36.5 percent climb from the previous year. The welfare lottery’s sales raked in RMB194.44 billion ($27.3 billion) last year, a surge of 31.3 percent from the year before. Additionally, sports lottery sales increased by an impressive 39.3 percent year on year, amassing around RMB385.26 billion ($54.2 billion).
