Lottery ticket vendors in Beijing are now required to post signs
where they work to warn minors it is illegal for them to buy
lottery tickets, as part of China's latest effort to stop its youth
from gambling.
The Beijing Times reports six government departments
endorsed a joint circular that bans vendors from selling lottery
tickets and distributing prizes to anyone under 18 years old.
The ministries of finance, education, public security and civil
affairs all signed the document, as well as the industry and
commerce administrations, and the sports watchdog.
The circular also prohibits vendors from selling lottery tickets
within a 200 meter radius of all schools and warns serious
punishment will be doled out to anyone who violates it.
The main organizations tasked with distributing and organizing
the lottery in the city will conduct a census of all lottery
vendors. They will move anyone found operating their business near
a school to another place in line with the requirements of the
circular.
Earlier this year, Nanguo Metropolitan Newspaper
reported students in Haikou, capital of Hainan Province, were
becoming addicted to gambling after street vendors near their
primary schools sold them tickets.
(CRI December 18, 2006)