iGaming Business – The World Lottery Association has revealed that global lottery sales increased by 4.6% in the first half of 2013 thanks to strong growth in the Latin American and Asia-Pacific regions.
The association said that participating Latin American lotteries registered an aggregate increase in sales of 24.6% for the first six months of 2013 in comparison with the first half of 2012.
Argentina’s Lotería Nacional Sociedad del Estado was a star performer, continuing its upward trajectory with a 31% sales increase for the six months until the end of June. Brazil’s Caixa Econômica Federal also enjoyed healthy growth of 12.5%.
In Asia-Pacific, participating lotteries witnessed an increase in sales of 11.1% in the first half of 2013.
The association highlighted a strong second quarter for the China Sports lottery, which increased sales by 19.6% over the first six months of the year, while sales at the Chinese Welfare lottery improved by 13.4%.
The association added that the ongoing growth in sales at the Chinese Welfare Lottery leaves it in line to become “the world’s largest lottery by sales volume, a position currently held by Italy’s Lottomatica”.
Lottery sales in the North American market recovered during the second quarter of 2013, with participating lotteries generating an aggregate increase in sales of 9.4% in spite of a sluggish first quarter. The improving US economy was cited as the main reason for the rise in revenue.
The African and European markets remained relatively flat, with an increase of 0.7% and a decline of 1.7%, respectively, in the first six months of the year, with Europe’s financial problems continuing to stifle growth.
