The Ministry of Finance announced Monday that it would tighten supervision over the country's lottery market in the coming months to maintain fair market order.

The lottery institutions will need to have their game's regulations and distribution method approved by the ministry and they will need to publish them, a ministry spokesman said.

"These institutions will not be allowed to revise the game regulations and distribution method without approval from the Ministry of Finance," the man said.

Lottery bodies will also be required to tell the public when a game stops.

The Ministry of Finance will crack down on organizations that conduct unfair competition and disrupt market order, the spokesman said.

Lotteries re-emerged on the Chinese mainland in 1987, partly due to the need to raise money for government spending, said a researcher surnamed Ma with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Lotteries had been forbidden before then as they were considered gambling.

The State now has a lottery run by the Ministry of Civil Affairs to raise funds for welfare projects. Another lottery falls under the wing of the State Sports General Administration to fund sports activities and facilities for the public.

Ma said: "Lotteries are a promising industry as they increase tax revenues, create job opportunities and generate funds for the government."

( China Daily June 18, 2002)