In mainland China, according to official data from the Ministry of Finance, November sales from official lottery products saw an 11.8 percent year-on-year spike to approximately CNY38.56 billion (US$5.89 billion), according to GGRAsia.

Last month, welfare lottery sales totaled CNY19.40 billion, an 8.6 percent increase from the same time frame the prior year, while sports lottery sales were up by 15.2 percent from the same time last year to CNY19.15 billion.

In November, in 27 of 31 cities and provinces of mainland China where lottery ticket sales are authorized, sales were reportedly up. Last month, total lottery sales in Beijing, however, saw an 8.0 percent year-on-year decline, according to data from the Ministry, while sales of lottery tickets in Guangdong province increased by 11.5 percent year-on-year to CNY3.92 billion.

During the first 11 months of this year, combined sales for both of the lottery systems amounted to CNY386.99 billion, an increase of 8.1 percent from the same time frame the prior year. Welfare lottery sales, meanwhile, saw an increase of 5.3 percent, having reached approximately CNY196.33 billion. Sports lottery product sales witnessed an increase of 11.1 percent to CNY190.66 billion.

In the first 11 months of 2017, Guangdong remained the biggest single-province market for lottery products in mainland China, with sales of lottery tickets reaching CNY38.26 billion in the period, an increase of 6.5 percent from a year prior. Following Guangdong was Jiangsu province, where total lottery ticket sales saw a 7.1 percent increase year-on-year to CNY31.51 billion.

Placing third was Shandong province in eastern China, with lottery ticket sales approaching CNY30.37 billion in the first 11 months this year to November 30, a 4.6 percent spike from a year earlier, according to official data.