Sales of Chinese welfare lottery tickets this year have set a record.

According to the Welfare Lottery Distribution and Management Center (WLDMC), sales of the tickets until November 9 increased 26 percent year on year to 80 billion yuan (US$11.9 billion).

Computerized sales rose 11.3 percent year on year to 60.7 billion yuan while spot sales grew nearly 50 percent year on year to 11.6 billion yuan.

Online sales totaled nearly 7.7 billion yuan.

After paying out winnings, the lottery raised more than 25 billion yuan for public welfare, also a record-breaking amount.

The public welfare fund is used to build and expand welfare facilities, including homes for the elderly in rural areas, shelters for homeless minors and schools for orphans, according to the WLDMC.

China's welfare lottery started in 1987, when the Civil Affairs Ministry was authorized by the State Council, China's Cabinet, to raise welfare funds through lottery sales.

(Xinhua News Agency November 20, 2010)