The rapidly approaching 2006 FIFA World Cup is not just an important event for millions of football fans throughout the world, but is also a special occasion for those who buy lottery tickets.

The China Sports Lottery Administration Centre plans to issue tickets for 22 different World Cup-related lotteries throughout June. The contests will cover six betting formats, including wagering on the outcomes of eight selected matches, on goals for six games, on the overall top eight national squads and the top four clubs.

The World Cup lotteries offer more choices and opportunities to win than standard contests. According to the rules, 65 per cent of the total sales from each different lottery will be returned to buyers as prize money.

Huang Yu, a thirty-something football fan, says he plans to buy hundreds of yuan in football lottery tickets throughout June. "I am buying for fun, but I want to see how lucky I am," he says, adding that unlike other lotteries, which are based purely on chance, football betting relies more on information and analysis. "The situation is different in the World Cup games, but obviously not everyone can win," he says.

Huang plans to watch as many of the games as possible. "I'm looking forward to it. I hope my bets turn out okay," he says.

Many sports lottery ticket vendors in Beijing expect brisk business throughout the World Cup period. One seller named Yang says sales of football lottery tickets are usually average outside of World Cup season, however.

The China Sports Lottery Administration Centre has spent a lot of money to promote the World Cup lotteries on CCTV, in newspapers and on popular Internet portals.

During the 2002 Japan/South Korea World Cup four years ago, sales of lottery tickets reached 519 million yuan (US$64.9 million). But lottery organizers say that sales are not the sole priority.

"The point is to have fun, and we want to provide that for people," an official from the sport lottery centre says.

He does not expect a significant jump in lottery sales during the World Cup.

"Sales of football lotteries have been stable in recent years, because buyers are more familiar with the betting rules and the games and have become more sensible about their bets."

When football lotteries were first introduced in 2001, sales immediately exploded. Sales of one edition reached 300 million yuan (US$37.5 million).

The China Sports Lottery Administration Centre continuously readjusts betting formats and launches new products to meet demand and improve sales.

(China Daily 05/22/2006 page4)