BEIJING, June 4 -- China's lottery ticket sales rose 10.2 percent year on year to 55.46 billion yuan (about 7.8 billion U.S. dollars) in April, data from the Ministry of Finance showed on Tuesday.

Sales of lottery tickets to support the country's welfare system reached 18.76 billion yuan in April, an increase of 20.3 percent from a year earlier.

Lottery ticket sales to support the sports industry increased 5.7 percent year on year to 36.69 billion yuan, the ministry said.

In the first four months of this year, sales of lottery tickets in China totaled 204.92 billion yuan, up 17 percent year on year.

Under China's lottery management rules, funds raised from ticket sales are used for administrative expenses and public welfare projects, and to fund prizes.