In May, China's lottery ticket sales experienced a remarkable surge, reaching approximately 57 billion yuan, equivalent to around 7.95 billion U.S. dollars. This significant increase of 19.8 percent year on year was revealed by data from the Ministry of Finance.

The Ministry attributed this surge in sales to two primary factors: a low comparison base from the previous year and an uptick in sports events during May that drove greater public interest in sports lottery tickets.

Sales from lottery tickets intended to support the national welfare system amounted to about 18.53 billion yuan last month, which represents an 8.6 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

In particular, sales of sports lottery tickets soared by 26 percent year on year, reaching a total of 38.51 billion yuan in May.

Looking at the broader picture, from January to May, nationwide sales of lottery tickets totaled 263.37 billion yuan, reflecting a 4.3 percent rise when compared to the same timeframe in the previous year.

According to China's lottery management regulations, the funds garnered from ticket sales are allocated for covering administrative costs, supporting public welfare initiatives, and financing prizes.