Football fans across China have fuelled a major increase in sports lottery sales as the FIFA World Cup continues, with betting volumes rising sharply. According to official figures, sales of football lottery products reached billions of yuan in a single week, showing a strong public interest in the tournament despite the country’s absence.
According to figures reported by the China Sports Lottery, sales of football lottery products reached 6.87 billion yuan ($956 million) between 8 and 14 June alone. That represented a 97 per cent jump compared with the previous week.
Daily sales top 100K Yuan
According to a report by the South China Morning Post (SCMP), World Cup fever has brought a noticeable increase in activity at lottery shops across China. Store owners have claimed that customers are coming in large numbers after work, and placing bets on match results, scorelines, total goals and handicap markets. Some outlets reportedly generated daily sales of as much as 100,000 yuan (around $13,900), several times higher than what they would typically expect outside a major tournament.
Unexpected results have also played a major role in attracting attention. Surprise outcomes, including Cabo Verde’s draw against Spain and Ghana’s late victory over Panama, disrupted many betting slips but also reinforced the tournament’s reputation for unpredictability.
While individual bettors have experienced mixed fortunes, lottery shop owners appear to be among the biggest beneficiaries of the World Cup boom. Operators typically earn commissions of around eight per cent on ticket sales, and many say revenues have risen sharply over recent weeks.
One outlet owner said a normal month might generate between 200,000 and 300,000 yuan ($27,800-$41,700) in turnover, but expects sales to reach around 600,000 yuan ($83,500) as the tournament continues. Some businesses have gone even further by opening additional locations or creating dedicated viewing areas equipped with large screens to encourage customers to watch matches and place bets on-site.
Official figures suggest the trend extends well beyond individual stores. Smaller neighbourhood outlets that normally record daily sales of 2,000 to 5,000 yuan ($280-$695) have reportedly seen volumes climb to between 5,000 and 15,000 yuan ($695-$2,085) per day. Larger outlets with strong online followings are said to be generating monthly sales of up to 3 million yuan ($417,000).
New revenue records likely
The World Cup boost comes against the backdrop of China’s already substantial lottery market. According to the official data from the Ministry of Finance, total state lottery sales reached 627.97 billion yuan ($87.3 billion) in 2025.
Sports lottery products accounted for 419.39 billion yuan ($58.3 billion) of that figure, representing roughly two-thirds of all lottery sales nationwide. Welfare lottery products generated the remaining 208.58 billion yuan ($29 billion). This year, the FIFA World Cup is expected to notably increase the total revenues.
Established in 1994, the China Sports Lottery remains one of the country’s few legal gambling channels. Revenue generated through ticket sales is used to support public welfare programmes, sports development initiatives and other social projects. With the World Cup still ongoing and fan interest showing little sign of slowing, lottery operators expect betting activity to remain elevated throughout the remainder of the tournament.
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