About 1,000 orphans in south China's Guangdong Province have become the latest beneficiaries of China's 50 billion yuan Welfare Lottery.

Each of the orphans in Zhanjiang City received a stipend of 500 yuan (US$66), the China Welfare Lottery Administrative Center said on Friday.

These children are not in orphanages. They mostly live with relatives or family friends. Some of the older ones live independently and are supported by the community at large, the center said.

Through November 2, sales of the Welfare Lottery had reached a total of 50.12 billion yuan (US$6.68 billion) for 2007, of which 17.2 billion yuan (US$2.29 billion) went to its charity foundation.

Since its inception in 1987 as one of the only two legal lotteries in China, the Welfare Lottery has funded about 40,000 orphanages, rest homes and other charity organizations across the country.

Through July this year, the lottery had collected 80.9 billion yuan (US$10.78 billion) for its charity foundation over the past 20 years.