Sports Lottery

Within a proper legal framework and strong social responsibilities, sports lottery industry is prospering healthily and orderly in South China’s Hainan province, the largest special economic zone and the to-be largest pilot free trade zone.

New tourist activities, including horse racing, sports betting and an instant lottery, are encouraged in the tropical island to boost its tourism sector, attracting more travelers from worldwide.

Based on a circular released by the National Development and Reform Commission, the work in the sports and tourism industries will be facilitated to boost the island's status as a featured international destination featuring beach sports, water sports, horse racing, aviation sports, motor sports and outdoor sports.

Entry restrictions on participating in sport boats, aircraft, motor vehicles and motorcycles will be relaxed, according to the plan. The circular also says Hainan will probe into the development of sports betting and an instant lottery on large-scale international competitions.

In recent years, the booming lottery industry has been making considerable contributions to the province’s public service and social welfare, according to the social responsibility report released by the Sports Lottery Administration Center of Hainan Province.

The official data suggests that the sales revenue helped to raise about 300 million yuan ($44.39 million) of welfare fund, of which 22.21 million yuan came from the individual income tax of lottery winners. By the end of 2017, the welfare fund collected from sports lottery has exceeded 1.8 billion yuan.