Lottery tickets are legal to purchase in Taiwan under the Public Welfare Lottery Issue Act, which governs state-run lottery operations. The Ministry of Finance serves as the competent authority responsible for approving lottery types, total amounts issued, and overall supervision. CTBC Bank currently holds the official issuing institute contract from 2024 to 2033, conducting all aspects of lottery operations including issuance, sales, promotion, drawings, prize payments, and management under government oversight (2).
The Public Welfare Lottery Supervising Committee, established by the Ministry of Finance, oversees all lottery activities and ensures proper utilization of lottery revenues. Prize payout ratios cannot exceed 75% of total lottery sales unless otherwise approved, with administration expenses limited to 15%. All lottery net revenues are allocated exclusively to the national pension system (45%), national health insurance safety reserve (5%), and social welfare expenses (50%) as mandated by law (1).
"The Act is enacted to ensure the issuing, management, and supervising surplus utilization of the Public Welfare Lottery so as to promote public welfare."
Lottery retailers must not sell tickets or pay prizes to anyone under 18 years of age, with violations resulting in fines between NT$30,000 and NT$150,000. Winners must claim prizes within three months using winning tickets and identification, or unclaimed amounts revert to net revenues. The government strictly prohibits all other forms of gambling under the Criminal Code, making state-run lotteries and the Uniform Invoice lottery the only legal gambling activities permitted in Taiwan (1).
Source:
https://law-out.mof.gov.tw/EngLawContent.aspx?Type=C&id=69
https://www.nta.gov.tw/Eng/singlehtml/1608?cntId=nta_21517_1608
Last updated: 16-10-2025 Disclaimer: This article does not provide legal advice. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney directly.
