Revenue at Taiwan Sports Lottery Co (台灣運彩) last year reached a record NT$46.6 billion (US$1.67 billion) thanks to the Tokyo Summer Olympics, the Sports Administration said.
It said NT$4.6 billion of the revenue was directed to the National Sports Development Fund.
The closure of gyms and other sports venues nationwide amid a COVID-19 outbreak battered the local sports industry, the agency said, adding sports events were either postponed or canceled.
Photo: Wu Meng-ju, Taipei Times
The government offered relief funds and implemented measures to sustain the sports industry, and Taiwanese athletes’ outstanding performance in the Tokyo Olympic Games — two gold medals, four silver and six bronze — helped maintain the public’s interest in sports events, it said.
The company generated revenue of NT$2.1 billion during the Olympics, it added.
Taiwan Sports Lottery is open for betting during the Lunar New Year holiday, the agency said.
In addition to NBA games and other professional leagues, people can bet on ice hockey games during the Winter Olympics from tomorrow to Feb. 20, it said.
Competitions in the Asian Games, which are to be held in Hangzhou, China, in September, and the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in November would be available for betting, which could boost sales to NT$50 billion this year, the agency said.
Taiwan Sports Lottery last year introduced a mobile ID system to facilitate registration and sales, which helped boost online sales to 32 percent, it said.
Taiwan Sports Lottery, which was created by Adata Technology, is the only legal sports lottery recognized by the government. It is in charge of sales, while the Sports Administration supervises its performance and operations.
In other news, the Sports Administration called on Taiwanese to root for the nation’s athletes who are to compete in the Winter Olympics in Beijing.
Speedskater Huang Yu-ting (黃郁婷) is to compete in the 500m race on Monday, the 1,000m on Feb. 13 and the 1,500m on Feb. 17.
Lee Wen-yi (李玟儀) is to compete in the women’s slalom on Wednesday, while Ho Ping-jui (何秉睿) is to compete in the men’s category on Feb. 19.
On Wednesday and Thursday next week, Lin Sin-rong (林欣蓉) is to compete in the luge women’s singles.
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