[Issue] "Mobile Lotto" Launches, But "Lucky Stores" Still Packed with People

by Song Bohyeon

Published 08 Mar.2026 11:01(KST)

On the 5th, a Long Line Even at Lunchtime at Gwangju's "Lotto Hotspot"

Citizens Say "In the End, It's the Price of a Dream, the Price of Hope... But There's Still a Thrill in Buying in Person"

Mobile Lotto Pilot Launched on February 9... Purchases Now Possible via Smartphone

Weekday-Only Sales, 5,000 Won Limit per Person per Draw

Government to Review Pilot Operation Results in First Half of Year... Assessing Impact on Stores and Coexistence Measures

On the morning of the 5th, a 'Lotto' signboard is displayed in front of a lottery sales store in Gwangju. Photo by Bohyun Song

"We have auto-generated tickets printed this morning. For those wanting to buy quick pick tickets."

On the afternoon of the 5th, I visited a lottery ticket store in Gwangju. The staff's voice echoed throughout the store. Even though it was just after lunchtime, citizens were lined up in front of the ticket machine, and the line extended out onto the sidewalk outside the store. This was one of the so-called "Lotto hotspots." Although it is now possible to buy Lotto tickets via smartphones, the atmosphere in the lottery store remained as busy as ever.

Park Jieun, 38, who was standing in line, was one of them. An office worker living in Seo-gu, Gwangju, and mother of two children, she said she visits the store every Thursday during her lunch break. Looking at the lottery ticket, she smiled quietly and said, "In the end, isn't it just the price of a dream, the price of hope?"

She has already tried buying Lotto tickets on her mobile device several times. Park said, "I bought tickets on mobile about five times. It's convenient, but there's still a thrill in coming to the store and buying them in person. For now, I still prefer offline purchases," she said.

Inside a "Lotto Hotspot" lottery store in Seo-gu, Gwangju, on the afternoon of the 5th. Citizens are lining up to buy lottery tickets even during lunchtime. Photo by Bohyun Song

A citizen in his 60s who was also waiting in line to buy a ticket at the store shared a similar story. He said, "I've tried buying them on mobile a few times, but since the purchase limit is 5,000 won, I end up buying more at the lottery store," adding, "It's convenient when I don't have time, but usually I'm more used to coming to the store to buy tickets."

Despite the launch of mobile sales, people continued to flock to lottery stores known as "lucky spots." One citizen said, "I came here on purpose because this place has had many winners. Even though you can buy tickets on mobile, I think many people still prefer to come in person if it's a famous lucky store."

Lotto sales method changes for the first time in 24 years... Mobile purchases introduced

Lotto sales revenue has been steadily increasing. In 2015, sales totaled over 3 trillion won, rising to over 4 trillion won in 2020, and last year surpassed 6 trillion won.

The government began a pilot program for mobile Lotto sales on February 9. Since Lotto was first introduced in 2002, this is the first time tickets can be purchased via mobile. Consumers can access the Donghaeng Lotto official mobile website and buy Lotto tickets from their smartphones, without the need for a separate application, using only the mobile web.

[Issue] "Mobile Lotto" Launches, But "Lucky Stores" Still Packed with People

During the pilot period, purchases are only allowed on weekdays (Monday to Friday). The purchase limit per person per draw is set at 5,000 won. This is a measure to prevent the spread of gambling, given the high accessibility of smartphones. To protect existing retail stores, the scale of online sales-including PC purchases-is also managed so that it remains within 5% of the total Lotto sales.

Lotto store owners in the Gwangju area are closely monitoring the situation following the introduction of mobile ticket sales. One store owner said, "Some say that the number of young customers has decreased since mobile sales started, but I haven't noticed any significant change yet."

On the afternoon of the 5th, a '1st Prize Winner' sign was displayed at the entrance of a lottery store in Gwangju. Visitors continue to come to the so-called 'lucky spot' store, known for its winning history. Photo by Bohyun Song

Another store owner commented, "Right now, the purchase limit is low, so there hasn't been much change, but we'll have to wait and see how things develop in the future."

The government plans to analyze the results of the pilot program in the first half of the year and decide whether to expand mobile sales in the second half. During this process, the impact of mobile sales on the revenue of offline retailers will also be analyzed, and measures will be prepared to support low-revenue stores and promote coexistence between online and offline channels.