BEIJING, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Total value of China's lottery sales hit 63.16 billion yuan (9.26 billion U.S. dollars) in the first five months this year, up 22.8 percent over the same period last year, the country's Ministry of Finance said Saturday.

Welfare lottery sales reached 36.73 billion yuan during the same period, a year-on-year increase of 25.9 percent; sales of sports lotteries

hit 26.44 billion yuan, up 18.8 percent.

In May alone, sales value reached 14.44 billion yuan, up 18.7 percent year on year, a statement on the Ministry's website said.