BEIJING — China's lottery sales came in at 84.52 billion yuan (about $13.07 billion) in the first quarter of the year, data from the Ministry of Finance (MOF) shows.

Sales of welfare lottery tickets totaled approximately 34 billion yuan in the period, while sports lottery sales came in at approximately 50.53 billion yuan, according to the MOF.

In March alone, lottery sales amounted to 29.81 billion yuan. Sales in the provinces of Guangdong, Zhejiang, Shandong, Jiangsu and Henan were relatively high, MOF data also shows.

Under China's lottery management rules, money from ticket sales is used for administrative expenses, public welfare projects and prize winnings.