BEIJING -- China's lottery ticket sales dropped 16.6 percent year-on-year in February to 16.87 billion yuan ($2.69 billion), according to official data released on Monday.

In a statement posted on its website, the Ministry of Finance attributed the trend to fewer working days to sell the tickets this January.

China's week-long holiday for the Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year, fell in January in 2012. It fell in February this year, however.

Last month, welfare lottery sales stood at 9.89 billion yuan, down 15.9 percent year on year, while sales of sports lottery tickets dropped 17.5 percent to 6.97 billion yuan, the statement said.

In the first two months of 2013, total lottery sales increased 13.8 percent year on year to 41.72 billion yuan. Welfare lottery sales rose 13.5 percent, while sports lottery sales climbed 14.2 percent, according to the ministry.

Under China's Regulations on Lottery Management, money raised through lotteries is divided into three parts: the jackpot; lottery management fees; and lottery public funds.