RMB 50.742 Billion

According to the Welfare Lottery Distribution and Management Center (WLDMC), sales of lottery tickets breached the RMB 50 billion mark in the first five months of this year, up 32 percent from the same period of last year and contributing RMB 15.4 billion to China's welfare funds. The strong sales bolster the prospect that the 2011 gross set a new record at RMB 100 billion. Under current policies, local governments keep half of the welfare fund withheld from welfare lottery sales made on their territory, and use the money for charity and aid programs targeting the aged, disabled, impoverished, orphans and natural disaster victims. The second half goes to the central treasury, and is distributed across the Social Security Fund, special appropriations (like those for the Red Cross, medical aid in rural areas, education base for youth and big sports events), the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the General Administration of Sport at the respective ratio of 60:30:5:5.