05-005 · EVIDENCE A · SOURCE-SENSITIVE
Not buying lottery tickets
不买彩票
It costs nothing. Not buying means you save money.
According to regulations, at least 50% of sales revenue from lottery games must be paid out as prizes; for the Double Color Ball game, this figure is 51%. In other words, for every 1 yuan you spend, you can expect to receive back only 0.51 yuan on average over time — meaning you lose 49% of your money. In 2024, China sold 623.486 billion yuan worth of lottery tickets; of that amount, 161.031 billion yuan went directly into public welfare funds and was never distributed as prizes.
A
Move “Not buying lottery tickets” to Future Me's calendar
The excuse
Future Me has a clearer calendar, more patience, and apparently the same responsibilities.
What feels good now
Today I keep a few minutes and avoid interrupting my default routine.
What the source says
The source summarizes the return this way: “According to regulations, at least 50% of sales revenue from lottery games must be paid out as prizes; for the Double Color Ball game, this figure is 51%. In other words, for every 1 yuan you spend, you can expect to receive back only 0.51 yuan on average over time — meaning you lose 49% of your money. In 2024, China sold 623.486 billion yuan worth of lottery tickets; of that amount, 161.031 billion yuan went directly into public welfare funds and was never distributed as prizes.” Evidence grade A. The original states the population, caveats, and sources; this is not a personal forecast.
Use the original facts and limits. For an urgent medical, safety, financial, or legal issue, contact a qualified local professional or service.
THE ENGLISH EDITION
Original recommendation and evidence
5. Not buying lottery tickets
Cost: It costs nothing. Not buying means you save money.
In plain terms: According to regulations, at least 50% of sales revenue from lottery games must be paid out as prizes; for the Double Color Ball game, this figure is 51%. In other words, for every 1 yuan you spend, you can expect to receive back only 0.51 yuan on average over time — meaning you lose 49% of your money. In 2024, China sold 623.486 billion yuan worth of lottery tickets; of that amount, 161.031 billion yuan went directly into public welfare funds and was never distributed as prizes.
Benefit: Fiscal regulations set minimum payout ratios: 50% for lottery and number-based games, 65% for instant-win games, and 73% for wagering games. For the Double Color Ball game, 51% of sales revenue is allocated to prizes, which means only 51 yuan out of every 100 yuan spent is paid out as winnings. On a personal level, this translates to an average return of just 0.51 yuan per 1 yuan spent over time — a net loss of 49%. In 2024, total lottery sales in China reached 623.486 billion yuan; 161.031 billion yuan of that amount was earmarked for public welfare and never returned to players (China, 2024).
Evidence grade: A
Sources: Ministry of Finance (2015). Notice on standardizing and strengthening the management of lottery fund composition ratio (Caizong [2015] No. 94). <http://m.mof.gov.cn/czxw/201511/t20151113_1560814.htm>; Ministry of Finance (2025). Ministry of Finance Announcement 2025 No. 8 (2024) Annual Lottery Public Welfare Fund Raising and Distribution). <http://zhs.mof.gov.cn/zhengcefabu/202508/t20250828_3970977.htm>; China Welfare Lottery Double Color Ball Game Rules (Article 14). <https://mzj.nc.gov.cn/ncsmzj/flcp/202111/5dccc1a5da89434e94a62f8ea0e5887e.shtml>
Notes: Over the long run, buying lottery tickets guarantees a financial loss; this is a fixed rule of the system and has nothing to do with luck. Buying tickets is fine if you treat it as a form of entertainment costing 2 yuan per play, but it should never be viewed as a way to invest or save money.
Read the complete Chinese source and notes
5. 不买彩票
成本: 不花钱。不买就是省钱。
说人话: 按规定，乐透数字型彩票拿出来当奖金的钱，最少是销售额的 50%，双色球是 51%。也就是你每投 1 元，长期平均只能拿回 0.51 元，稳定亏掉 49%。2024 年全国卖了 6234.86 亿元彩票，其中 1610.31 亿元直接进了公益金，这部分不在奖金里。
收益: 财政部规定了奖金占销售额的最低比例：乐透型和数字型彩票 50%，即开型 65%，竞猜型 73%。双色球按销售额的 51% 提奖金，每卖 100 元只拿出 51 元当奖金。换算到你身上，每投入 1 元，长期平均只能拿回 0.51 元，亏掉 49%。2024 年全国彩票卖了 6234.86 亿元，其中 1610.31 亿元进了公益金，没有回到买彩票的人手里（中国，2024 年）
证据等级: A
来源: 财政部 (2015). 关于规范和加强彩票资金构成比例管理的通知（财综〔2015〕94 号）. <http://m.mof.gov.cn/czxw/201511/t20151113_1560814.htm>；财政部 (2025). 财政部公告 2025 年第 8 号（2024 年彩票公益金筹集分配情况）. <http://zhs.mof.gov.cn/zhengcefabu/202508/t20250828_3970977.htm>；中国福利彩票双色球游戏规则（第十四条）. <https://mzj.nc.gov.cn/ncsmzj/flcp/202111/5dccc1a5da89434e94a62f8ea0e5887e.shtml>
备注: 长期平均下来一定亏，这是制度定死的，和运气无关。要买也行，但只能当成 2 元一次的娱乐花销，不能当成理财。
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