China lottery sales down; authorities detain scam suspects

a's lottery sales dropped for the sixth consecutive month last November.

Ministry of Finance figures revealed that total sales for the month fell 10.2% to RMB 30.6b (US $4.6b).

Welfare lottery sales fell 6.6%, while sports lottery sales plunged 14.4%, according to local media reports.

Lottery performance in China has been hit by the suspension of online sales and an economic downturn in the country.

Meanwhile China’s Ministry of Public Security (MPS) has busted an alleged cross-border lottery fraud gang, according to China Daily.

The MPS detained 470 suspects over a fake online lottery operation which generated an estimated RMB 200m ($32m) from over 1,000 victims.

Chinese and Lao police destroyed three dens and seized more than 500 mobile phones, 400 computers and four vehicles in Laos.

The MPS chartered four planes carrying 300 suspects to Fujian province for processing, since the majority of suspects were from there.

The remaining 170 suspects will be dealt with by police back in Xishuangbanna.

Chinese police have cracked 16,708 cases, arrested 5,825 suspects, and destroyed 927 gangs, according to MPS.