Does “lottery culture” affect household financial decisions? Evidence from China

In recent years, China’s “lottery culture” has developed vigorously. Moreover, the investment participation rate of Chinese families in the formal financial market is low, whereas that in the informal financial market is high. Is there a certain relationship between “lottery culture” and family financial decision-making? If so, what is the underlying mechanism? Based on the 2017 CHFS data and lottery sales data of provinces, this study explores the impact of “lottery culture” on household participation in the formal and informal financial markets and the diversity of household financial portfolios. Results show that “lottery culture” can impede household participation in the formal financial market and the diversity of household financial portfolios while promoting household participation in the informal financial market in China. Furthermore, we analyze two channels of “lottery culture” impacts on household financial decisions: (1) risk attitude and (2) human capital. Results illustrate that “lottery culture” can influence household financial decisions by increasing risk tolerance and reducing the human capital of households.