China's lottery industry bets on digital sales growth
Low barriers to entry and high profits are attracting new online players
"A healthy attitude is the cornerstone of success! Try once more, every time is a new start!"
Every time a message like that flashes on her phone, Lily knows she didn't win the lottery. But the 35-year-old Beijing white-collar worker, who just bought a ticket through Tencent's WeChat platform, cracks up all the same.
"Each time it comes up with something different to cheer you up, which is fun," she said.
Lily is the kind of buyer the mainland's lottery industry is betting on.
"People with higher incomes, at least those with a smartphone and are younger, are the new generation of lottery consumers," said a vice-president of a listed lottery company who asked not to be named.
He said he expected lottery sales on digital platforms to grow 50 per cent in 2014, on 2013's 42 billion yuan (HK$52.9 billion). In 2013, digital sales on the mainland accounted for 13 per cent of the 309 billion yuan lottery market, which was up 18.3 per cent on the previous year.
With the migration of consumers away from traditional stores to computers and phones, market players expect sales to be driven up by the convenience afforded by mobile platforms. More new products are also being designed specifically for digital distribution, adding to sales.
