---
title: "A Chronicle of Korean Lotteries: From Maningye to Lotto"
locale: en
category: report
category_name: "Report"
translation_status: reviewed
license: cc_by
author: "Injoys Editorial Team"
source_url: https://injoys.com/en/articles/korean-lottery-history-from-maningye-to-lotto
published_at: 2026-08-04T07:35:50+09:00
---

# A Chronicle of Korean Lotteries: From Maningye to Lotto

> Korea's lotteries began with pooled-fund drawings such as the late-Joseon Maningye and were used to finance national reconstruction, housing supply, and international events. In the 2000s, an integrated management system centered on Lotto and the Lottery Fund took root.

## Key Points

- The late-Joseon Maningye resembled modern lotteries in that participants pooled money and some received payouts through a drawing, but it was not the same legal institution.
- Olympic sponsorship tickets and Welfare Lottery tickets issued around Korea's liberation were purpose-specific lotteries intended to fund sports promotion, relief, and reconstruction.
- The Housing Lottery, introduced in 1969, was Korea's first regularly issued lottery and made televised drawings part of popular culture.
- Lotto 6/45 was launched in 2002, and the Lottery Commission was established in 2004 under the Lottery Tickets and Lottery Fund Act.
- Generally, 50% of Lotto sales is allocated to prizes, about 41% to the Lottery Fund, and the remainder to issuance and sales costs and related expenses.

A lottery is not simply a product for buying and selling luck. The history of Korean lotteries extends from the late Joseon-era *gye*, in which people pooled funds, to public financing for national reconstruction, housing provision, international events, and support for vulnerable groups.

However, old *gye* and modern lotteries differ in their operators and legal character, and converting historical amounts into present-day values also requires caution. This article outlines the development of Korean lotteries, focusing on verifiable institutional changes and major events.

## Key Timeline by Period

| Period | Lottery or Similar System | Key Features | Representative Purpose of Funds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Late Joseon period | Jakbaek-gye, Cheonin-gye, Manin-gye, and others | Many people pooled money, and recipients were selected by drawing lots | Circulation of funds among members; public expenses in some cases |
| 1947–1948 | Olympic Support Tickets | Purpose-specific lottery supporting the delegation sent to the London Olympics | Funding delegation expenses |
| From 1949 | Welfare Lottery Tickets, Patriotic Lottery, and others | Temporary issues for relief and postwar reconstruction | Social relief and national reconstruction |
| 1969 | Housing Lottery | Korea’s first regularly issued lottery | Housing construction and residential support for low-income households |
| 1980s | Olympic Lottery | Linked to preparations for an international sporting event | Olympics-related projects |
| 1990 | Expo Lottery | Instant lottery revealing results when scratched | Support for the 1993 Daejeon Expo |
| 1990s | Numerous institution-specific lotteries | Issued by government ministries and local governments for specific purposes | Housing, science and technology, welfare, tourism, and others |
| 2002 | Lotto 6/45 | Buyers selected numbers, and prizes were tied to sales | Creation of the Lottery Fund |
| 2004 | Launch of the Lottery Commission | Integrated management of lottery policy and funds | Statutory allocations and support for public-interest projects |

## Was the Late Joseon Manin-gye an Ancestor of the Modern Lottery?

In the late Joseon period, large-scale *gye* known as Jakbaek-gye, Cheonin-gye, and Manin-gye, depending on the number of participants, are said to have operated. Members paid a set amount of money, after which recipients were selected through a drawing. Manin-gye, as its name suggests, referred to a lottery-style *gye* involving a very large number of people.

### Similarities to Modern Lotteries

- Many people contributed small amounts to create a large pool of funds.
- Recipients were selected by drawing lots according to predetermined procedures.
- The pooled money was paid out after operating expenses or a designated share was deducted.
- Some records explain that money paid to government offices was used for local projects.

However, Manin-gye should not be regarded as exactly the same system as today’s lotto. Modern lotteries are issued or authorized by the state under law, with sales, prizes, and the use of funds subject to management. Manin-gye, by contrast, operated on the basis of private *gye* organizations and local practices of the time. It is also difficult to conclude that the same prize ratios or methods of public payment applied to every Manin-gye.

### The Story of An Jung-geun and the Lottery Company

An Jung-geun’s autobiographical account describes his experience managing a business related to *chaepyo* in Jinnampo during his youth. *Chaepyo* was a lottery-style product in which numbered tickets were sold and money was paid according to the drawing results.

One anecdote says that all the tickets spilled out at once during a drawing, prompting protests from the crowd, and that An Jung-geun calmed the agitated participants. The story shows that large-scale lottery operations at the time attracted sizable crowds and that fairness in the drawing and trust in its management were central concerns. However, the specific dialogue and descriptions of the scene should be read with the autobiographical nature of the account in mind.

## What Were Lotteries Issued for Around the Time of Liberation?

Immediately after liberation, the Korean Peninsula faced the challenges of resettling returning populations, addressing material shortages, and rebuilding its administrative system. After the Korean War, enormous funds were needed for relief and the restoration of facilities. Lotteries during this period were closer to temporary financing tools for specific projects than permanent entertainment products.

### Olympic Support Tickets That Helped the London Olympic Delegation

The Korean Olympic Committee issued Olympic Support Tickets to raise the cost of sending a delegation to the 1948 London Olympics. At the time, even securing travel and accommodation expenses for the delegation was difficult.

The South Korean delegation participated in the London Olympics as the representative of an independent nation and won bronze medals in weightlifting and boxing. These support tickets remain a representative example of a lottery supporting national athletics and participation on the international stage.

Jeon Gyeong-mu, whose portrait appeared on the ticket, was an independence activist and sports administrator. He worked to secure South Korea’s participation in the Olympics but died in an aircraft accident while traveling on business involving the International Olympic Committee.

### Welfare Lottery Tickets and Postwar Lotteries

The Welfare Lottery Tickets issued beginning in 1949 were purpose-specific lotteries intended to raise funds for social relief. Later, lotteries connected to national reconstruction or specific public-interest projects, including the Patriotic Lottery, also appeared.

The sales prices and prizes of the time should not be converted directly into today’s money. After liberation, there were significant fluctuations in prices and changes in currency units, while consumption patterns also differed greatly from those of today. Purchasing power can be assessed more accurately by comparing the nominal amounts with wages, rice prices, and housing prices at the time.

## How the 1969 Housing Lottery Changed Everyday Life

The Housing Lottery, first issued on September 15, 1969, is regarded as Korea’s first regularly issued lottery. Unlike earlier lotteries issued briefly for specific projects, it continued to be sold on a fixed schedule.

The first Housing Lottery was issued by the Korea Housing Bank. Each ticket cost 100 won, and the first prize was 3 million won. Housing Lottery proceeds were used for residential support projects, including housing for low-income households and rental housing.

### “Ready, Aim, Shoot” and Public Drawings

Housing Lottery drawings were broadcast on television. A widely known method involved spinning a disc displaying numbers and then shooting an arrow to determine the winning number, accompanied by the host’s phrase, “Ready, aim, shoot.”

The broadcast brought about three changes.

1. It opened the drawing process to the public, allowing viewers to see that it was fair.
2. It turned lottery drawings into regularly scheduled broadcast content.
3. It encouraged people to view the lottery as both a public financing product and everyday entertainment.

The Housing Lottery was initially issued monthly, but in 1972 it was expanded to once a week. The first prize also rose substantially from 3 million won in 1969 through the 1970s and 1980s. This resulted from the combined effects of economic growth, inflation, changes in housing prices, and the need to promote sales.

According to official lottery history materials, the Housing Lottery was issued 574 times before the Olympic Lottery was introduced in 1983 and supported housing projects totaling approximately 45,000 homes, including flood-relief housing, rental housing, and housing for persons of national merit.

## Why Did Instant Lotteries Increase in the 1990s?

The Expo Lottery, introduced in 1990, was an instant lottery intended to support the 1993 Daejeon Expo. Unlike conventional draw-based lotteries, buyers could scratch the surface and immediately find out at the point of purchase whether they had won.

Instant lotteries eliminated the wait for results and created a new consumer experience in which purchases could be repeated within a short period. Following the success of the Expo Lottery, various instant lotteries and hybrid draw products appeared.

During the 1990s, lotteries promoted for different purposes, including housing, science and technology, welfare, and tourism, were operated by individual government ministries and local governments. Although they had the advantage of expanding financing for designated projects, the following problems also emerged.

- The excessive number of issuing institutions and products fragmented the management system.
- Controversies over preferential treatment arose during the selection of operators.
- It was difficult to track fund creation and spending consistently.
- Critics argued that competition among lotteries could encourage sales growth.

These problems later provided the background for integrating lottery operations and funds under a single legal framework.

## The 2002 Lotto Craze and the 40.7 Billion Won Prize

Lotto 6/45 went on sale in December 2002. Buyers select 6 numbers from 1 to 45, and matching all 6 drawn numbers wins the first prize.

The theoretical probability of producing a first-prize combination is as follows.

- Possible combinations of 6 numbers: 8,145,060
- Probability of winning first prize: 1 in 8,145,060

In the early Lotto system, the first prize varied greatly depending on sales and the number of winners, while prize rollovers also heightened public interest. In the 19th drawing in April 2003, a single first-prize winner received approximately 40.7 billion won. This became an event symbolizing the Lotto craze.

The Lottery Commission was not created at the same time Lotto was launched. Lotto was introduced first in 2002, while the Lottery Commission was established in 2004 under the Lottery and Lottery Fund Act and began the integrated management of previously fragmented lottery policies and funds.

## Where Does the Money Go When You Buy a 1,000 Won Lottery Ticket?

Lotto sales revenue does not all go to winners. The general structure for a 1,000 won sale is explained as follows.

| Category | Amount or Ratio | Meaning |
|---|---:|---|
| Prizes | Approximately 500 won, 50% | Distributed as prizes for each winning tier |
| Lottery Fund | Approximately 410 won, 41% | Funding for statutory allocations and public-interest projects |
| Issuance and sales costs | Approximately 90 won, 9% | Retailer commissions, operating expenses, and others |

Because the detailed ratios may vary by lottery product and fiscal year, the official materials for the relevant year should be consulted for the exact allocation of a particular product.

The broad structure for fund allocation under the Lottery and Lottery Fund Act is as follows.

- 35% of the Lottery Fund is allocated to funds and institutions specified by law.
- The remaining 65% is used for public-interest projects, including rental housing, welfare for vulnerable groups, cultural heritage, veterans’ affairs, and disaster support.
- Specific amounts by institution and individual projects vary according to the annual Lottery Fund operating plans and settlements.

A lottery is therefore both a probability-based product offering prizes and a system for raising public funds. However, its use for public purposes does not eliminate the risk of excessive purchasing by individuals.

## What to Keep in Mind When Reading Lottery Sales Statistics

Lottery statistics must distinguish among total lottery sales, Lotto sales, issuance amounts, actual sales, and funds raised. Mixing different indicators can make the market appear larger or smaller than it actually is.

The statement in the provided materials that “Lotto sales in the first half of 2024 were 5.6562 trillion won” requires the stated period to be rechecked against annual sales trends. Without an official statistical table, it should not be concluded whether this was a first-half figure or an annual figure from a previous year.

The same applies to surveys of public perceptions of lotteries. The meaning of the percentage who “buy once a month” differs depending on whether it refers to all adults or only those who recently purchased a lottery ticket. When citing survey findings, the wording of the question, the respondents, and the timing of the survey must be checked in addition to the sample size.

## How to Consider Both the Public Benefits and Gambling Risks of Lotteries

Lotteries have the advantage of raising funds for public purposes without directly increasing taxes. On the other hand, if purchases are concentrated among low-income groups, they can create a regressive burden relative to income as well as a risk of excessive involvement.

The following principles are necessary for an accurate understanding of lotteries.

- Buying a lottery ticket is not investing or saving but paid entertainment with a very low probability of winning.
- Methods claiming to predict winning numbers cannot increase the probability of a random drawing.
- Numbers that appeared frequently in the past are not more likely to appear in the next drawing.
- Lottery tickets should not be purchased with living expenses, borrowed money, or emergency funds.
- Raising public-interest funds is not grounds for encouraging lottery purchases or guaranteeing the possibility of winning.

The history of Korean lotteries reflects the funding that the state and society needed in each period. Their purposes have changed from pooled funds in the late Joseon period to sports and relief after liberation, housing provision during industrialization, and today’s welfare financing, but the principles that drawings must be trustworthy and the use of funds transparent have remained unchanged.

## FAQ

### Was maningye like a modern lottery?
It was similar in that multiple people contributed money and the recipient was chosen by drawing lots, but it was not legally or institutionally the same type of lottery. Maningye was based on private rotating savings associations and local customs, while the modern lottery is administered by the state under the Lottery Tickets and Lottery Fund Act.

### What was the first lottery issued in Korea?
The answer depends on what is considered the first. In the late Joseon period, there were lottery-style rotating savings associations such as maningye, while Olympic sponsorship tickets issued in 1947–1948 are considered an early example of a modern purpose-specific lottery. The first regularly issued lottery was the Housing Lottery in 1969.

### Why were Olympic sponsorship tickets issued?
They were issued to cover travel, accommodation, and other expenses for the South Korean delegation participating in the 1948 London Olympics. It was a purpose-specific lottery designed to raise the cost of sending athletes to an international competition through public participation at a time when state finances were limited.

### Did the Lottery Commission launch Lotto?
No. Lotto 6/45 was launched in December 2002, and the Lottery Commission was established in 2004 under the Lottery Tickets and Lottery Fund Act. It subsequently took over the integrated management of previously fragmented lottery policies and funds.

### What are the odds of winning the Lotto jackpot?
In Lotto 6/45, the odds of matching all six numbers are 1 in 8,145,060. Every valid number combination has the same odds of winning, and past winning frequencies do not change the odds in the next drawing.

### How much of a 1,000-won Lotto ticket goes to the Lottery Fund?
Generally, about 500 won is allocated to prizes, about 410 won to the Lottery Fund, and about 90 won to retailer commissions, operating expenses, and other costs. The specific percentages may vary by product and fiscal year.

### What is the Lottery Fund used for?
Under the law, a portion is allocated to designated funds and institutions, while the remainder is used for public-interest projects such as rental housing, welfare for vulnerable groups, veterans' affairs, cultural heritage, and disaster relief. Specific allocation amounts should be checked in the annual fund management plans and financial statements.

### Since lotteries support public-interest projects, is it okay to buy a lot of tickets?
No. Raising funds for the public good and the risks of excessive purchasing by individuals are separate issues. A lottery is not an investment or savings product but a form of entertainment with a very low chance of winning, so tickets should be purchased only in small amounts that you can afford.

## Sources

- [Ministry of Economy and Finance Lottery Commission](https://www.bokgwon.go.kr/)
- [National Law Information Center Lottery and Lottery Fund Act](https://www.law.go.kr/법령/복권및복권기금법)
- [Donghaeng Lottery Official Website](https://www.dhlottery.co.kr/)
- [Olympics: London 1948](https://olympics.com/en/olympic-games/london-1948)
- [National Heritage Administration National Heritage Portal](https://www.heritage.go.kr/)

## Images

![Illustrated timeline of Korean lotteries from Joseon-era draws to a modern Lotto machine](https://injoys.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/proxy/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6NTQyMCwicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--ab9c8720cf91e211e2547e57db4497da9a709d1b/ai-b3a409b2.webp)
![Korean lottery timeline from a traditional savings circle to draw machines and public benefit programs](https://injoys.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/proxy/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6NTQyNiwicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--7393cd83b3406f337f74ae6743d42be9597e63ae/ai-04c42c77.webp)