Guangzhou has just issued a law banning children under the age of 18 from buying lottery tickets.

Guangzhou Daily says the ban is aimed at preventing young people from getting too involved in the lottery, and becoming distracted from their studies.

Guangzhou sells more lottery tickets than any other Chinese city, and is the first place to set an age limit.

There are more than 6,500 lottery ticket sales outlets in the city, and sales often represent one third of the country's total.

(CRI August 16, 2005)