China Welfare Lottery

In 1980s, in order to solve the contradictions between the urgent need to develop social welfare programs and insufficient funding, the Ministry of Civil Affairs drew on the valuable lessons from other countries and conducted a thorough research and a feasibility study to assess the viability of raising funds for social welfare programs through selling lottery. In 1987, authorized by the State Council, Social Welfare Lottery Fundraising Commission was established in Beijing. On July 27 of the same year, social welfare lottery ticket with the par value of 1 Yuan was issued for the first time in Shijiazhuang, Hebei, which marked the birth of China Welfare Lottery.