BEIJING -- Lottery sales rose 25.1 percent year-on-year in the first seven months of 2012 to reach 149.25 billion yuan ($23.69 billion).

The Ministry of Finance said Friday, that in July sales went up 10.9 percent, compared with the same month last year, to 20.2 billion yuan.

Welfare lottery ticket sales reached 87.56 billion yuan during the January-July period, up 24.6 percent from a year ago, while sales of sports lottery tickets gained 25.6 percent year-on-year, to 61.69 billion yuan.

The MOF attributed the July increase to new lottery games going on sale and increasing outlets for quiz-style games, as well as frequent sports events during the period.

It said all Chinese provincial-level regions, excluding Beijing, reported year-on-year gains in lottery sales during the January-July period.

According to China's Regulations on Lottery Management, money raised through lotteries is divided into three parts: the jackpot, lottery management fees and public lottery funds.