BEIJING - China's lottery ticket sales rose 7.6 percent year-on-year to 623.49 billion yuan ($86.96 billion) in 2024, data from the Ministry of Finance showed on Friday.

Sales of lottery tickets to support the country's welfare system reached 207.96 billion yuan in 2024, an increase of 7 percent from a year earlier.

Lottery ticket sales to support the sports industry rose 7.9 percent year-on-year to 415.53 billion yuan, the ministry said.

In December last year, the country's lottery ticket sales hit 57.57 billion yuan, rising 8 percent year-on-year.

Under China's lottery management rules, funds raised from ticket sales are used for administrative expenses and public welfare projects, and to fund prizes.