A weekly curated round-up of social, political and economic news from the Asian region.

As the world’s largest and most densely populated continent, Asia has a lot of lottery games to choose from. The most popular lotteries here are 6 from 43-style games that offer a jackpot to anyone who matches all six of their selected numbers, plus consolation prizes for those who match three or more. But while a lucky few may strike it rich, most people who buy tickets do so not to win big money, but rather for a bit of fun.

In recent months, China’s economy has cooled and its youth jobless rate hit a record high, fueling anxiety among younger Chinese that they will never get ahead. That may explain why sales of lottery tickets have jumped sharply this year, with China’s Sports Lottery reporting record-high ticket sales in June alone, up 384.3% from the previous month.

Despite the rise in demand, analysts warn that the country’s growing lottery industry can be dangerous. Not only does the game have a long history of corruption, but its addictive nature can also lead to debt and even suicide. The game is also a form of regressive taxation, as those who earn less tend to play more and lose more, economists say.

During the Lunar New Year, Chinese lotteries typically produce artistic tickets depicting the animal associated with the year, and this year is no exception. This year, the China Welfare Lottery is offering a trio of “Rooster” scratch-off tickets that promise to bestow fortune and good luck.