China Sports Lottery Reaches US$11.6 Billion During World Cup
China.- 23 July 2026 www.zonadeazar.com Wagers placed through the state-run China Sports Lottery during the 2026 FIFA World Cup reached CNY83.3 billion, equivalent to approximately US$11.6 billion.
Activity peaked during the opening week of the knockout stage, when sales exceeded CNY17.2 billion, or around US$2.4 billion.
News Details
Official figures show that sales increased progressively during the first weeks of the tournament. The opening week generated CNY6.87 billion, equivalent to approximately US$957 million.
Weekly sales subsequently rose to CNY15.15 billion and CNY16.27 billion, before reaching a high of CNY17.2 billion between 29 June and 5 July, coinciding with the start of the knockout rounds.
During the final stages of the competition, weekly sales totalled CNY16.84 billion, followed by CNY10.98 billion in the week leading up to the final.
Industry Context
The strong lottery activity coincided with high levels of media consumption throughout China. State broadcaster CCTV reported more than 70 billion cross-media views for its World Cup coverage.
The final between Argentina and Spain attracted a cumulative audience of 282 million viewers across CCTV’s platforms, demonstrating the scale of domestic interest in the tournament.
At the same time, authorities and digital platforms intensified enforcement against unauthorised betting. Social-media platform Weibo removed more than 100,000 posts promoting illegal lottery sales, unlicensed wagering and gambling-related traffic redirection.
The company also closed 120 groups linked to illegal gambling and sanctioned more than 50,000 accounts through temporary suspensions or permanent bans.
Next Steps or Impact
The results reinforce the importance of major sporting events to China’s state lottery sales, particularly during the decisive stages of international competitions.
The volume recorded during the World Cup may also lead to stronger controls over digital promotion, unauthorised betting channels and the illegal sale of lottery products outside the regulated system.
Edited by: @_fonta
