(Yicai Global) March 9 -- Hubei Radio and Television Information Network Co., a cable TV operator, is teaming up with a tech supplier to make lottery ticket buying more convenient in Hubei province.

It has penned a deal with Beijing Huayang Charming Culture Technology Ltd. under which the latter will create lottery apps for the HRTN's digital TV boxes, the broadcaster said in a statement. The applications will cover ticket buying and information services.

HRTN and the Hubei Provincial Sports Lottery Management Center set up China's first TV buying channel for sports lotteries yesterday, an approach that swerves around regulations introduced in 2015 that outlaw the online purchase of lottery tickets and force players to visit local stores.

Despite the anti-online policy, China's lottery business is continuing to grow and capturing a larger portion of the country's gross domestic product. Total lottery sales have quadrupled over the past nine years, tallying almost CNY427 billion (USD67 billion) at the end of 2017.