According to the report from the Australian Financial Review, the figure is around 300% more than at the same stage during the 2014 competition.
Despite China not reaching the World Cup – it has not qualified since 2002 – betting on the tournament is clearly rife via legal channels. The China Sports Lottery is one of two authorised lotteries operated by the Chinese government. Players can win by correctly guessing the outcomes of major football games.
Even outside the World Cup, China has stood out in various ways in the World Cup. The Chinese companies' investment in sponsoring FIFA and the World Cup totals US$ 835 million and accounts for more than a third of all tournament sponsored fundraising, for example.
The Asian country has the Wanda group as a partner of Fifa and three other companies (Hisense, Mengniu and Vivo) as sponsors of the World Cup. In addition, Yadea has concluded a regional agreement for the Asian market.
With that, the speculation of a possible Chinese bid to host the 2030 World Cup is growing. So far, the triple candidacy of Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, as well as Morocco, are the only officials. British media speculate that England can also enter the fight.
Source: GMB / iGaming Business
