Big lottery winner in Dongguan still a mystery

Dongguan, Guangdong province, is abuzz with curiosity. Everyone is asking the same question: Who is the lucky resident who clinched the grand prize of the China Sports Lottery — a colossal sum of 191 million yuan ($27.29 million)?

The Guangdong Sports Lottery Center recently declared that a lone individual from Dongguan was the big winner, and the news has sent ripples of intrigue around the city.

The lottery ticket center on Jinfeng Road in the city's Nancheng district, where the lucky person purchased the ticket with only 60 yuan, has become the object of a virtual pilgrimage, attracting many residents in recent days.

Zhong Zhibiao who runs the lottery ticket center said the big prize winner is a man who seldom comes to buy tickets.

The big prize from the center is now helping the center attract visitors and additional lottery buyers, he said.

It is the largest sports lottery prize ever drawn in Dongguan and the second-largest in Guangdong province, according to the statement which was published on the center's website on Tuesday.

It is the fifth lottery prize valued at more than 100 million yuan in the province. Last year, the sports lottery once drew a record high prize of 448 million yuan. The lucky lottery ticket belonged to a resident of Zhaoqing, in the western part of Guangdong.

Suo Jiangwei, director of the Dongguan Sports Lottery Center, said the lucky person has yet to cash in the big prize, and he himself wants to know who the lucky person is.

Still, Suo reminds lottery buyers to treat the grand prize rationally. China's sports lottery supports sports and social welfare undertakings, he said.

"I hope most residents can experience sports lottery games with a sense of normalcy and entertainment, with public welfare in mind, instead of betting on lottery tickets with all one's savings," he said.