There is a growing interest in Asian lottery, and it’s not hard to see why. After all, lotteries help communities and governments fund improvements of all kinds. Plus, the excitement of a single or a few lottery players winning a substantial sum of money is something to behold.

Many of the most popular Asian lotteries have a similar format to those played in the USA and Europe. For example, the China Welfare Lottery – also known as ShuangSeQiu – involves picking six red numbers between one and 33 and one blue number between one and 16. If you can match all your selections, you’ll win the jackpot!

The prize pots for these games can climb into the hundreds of millions of Yuan. And the chances of getting all your numbers right – assuming you’re the only person who does – are around 14 million to one.

Tech titans have taken note of the opportunity to rake in profits. Alibaba bought a company called AGTech that runs four-fifths of the state’s lottery terminals, while Tencent has a stake in China Lotsynergy. Both companies build video lottery terminals that resemble slot machines and allow people to place bets on which numbers they think the machines will generate.

Regardless of which lottery you choose to play, make sure to check the laws in your country before buying tickets. Most countries require a minimum age of 18 years old to participate, though this does vary by country. Beware of scams as well. If you receive an unsolicited email claiming that you’ve won a lottery you never entered, report it to the authorities.