The Chinese government has asked local authorities to fully implement its first regulation on the lottery industry that will take effect on July 1.

The new rule, the first of its kind since lottery sales were allowed in 1987, aimed at enhancing supervision of the fast-growing lottery industry and weeding out fraud.

According to a joint circular issued late Friday, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the General Administration of Sport, will work out technical standards of lottery facilities, details on lottery issuance approval, and fiscal supervision over lottery sellers.

China sold a total of 60.4 billion yuan (US$8.88 billion) of welfare lottery in 2008, which was mainly used for the development of social welfare facilities, education and health care for orphans, the elderly and the disabled.

(Xinhua News Agency June 27, 2009)