EXCLUSIVE: Japan Lottery Sales Down for 2 Straight Years

August 13, 2018

Tokyo- Sales of "takarakuji" lottery tickets issued by prefectural governments and ordinance-designated major cities in Japan totaled 786.6 billion yen in fiscal 2017 through March this year, down 6.9 pct from the preceding year, Jiji Press learned Monday.

Sales were down for the second consecutive year and stood below 800 billion yen for the first time since fiscal 1997, according to data compiled by the internal affairs ministry.

Takarakuji sales have been on a downtrend after peaking at 1,104.7 billion yen in fiscal 2005.

In fiscal 2017, sales of Jumbo series takarakuji, including Dream, Summer, and "Nenmatsu," or Year-End, decreased 13.1 pct to 325.6 billion yen.

Meanwhile, sales of number-selecting lotteries, including newly launched Bingo 5, rose 2.6 pct to 379.9 billion yen, the first increase in four years. The growth came partly because sales of Loto 6 increased 6.5 pct thanks to a hike in the top prize money to 200 million yen from 100 million yen.

Profits from takarakuji sales, which are crucial financial resources for local governments, have been on a declining trend, hitting as low as 299.6 billion yen in fiscal 2017, compared with 439.8 billion yen in fiscal 2005.

In a bid to boost sales, mainly to young people, the ministry will allow Jumbo lottery sales on the official website for takarakuji and credit card payments from October, sources familiar with the matter said. Currently, only number-selecting lotteries are available on the Internet. Jiji Press