China’s gambling masses have found yet another inventive way to circumvent their government’s restrictions, although the authorities are likely already readying their ban-hammer.

The latest pseudo-gambling phenomenon to take China’s netizens by storm is the rise of so-called ‘cloud purchase’ websites and apps. At their core, they resemble a traditional online marketplace, except the goods up for sale aren’t really for sale. Instead, users buy the equivalent of raffle tickets that offer a chance at winning anything from an iPhone to a Mercedes Benz.

The cost for a ticket can be as low as RMB 1 (US 15¢) but, like any raffle, the likelihood of holding the randomly selected winning number depends on how many other people are vying for the prize.

Some users try to boost their odds of winning by purchasing ever greater number of tickets. The low cost of entry lulls some users into buying massive amounts of tickets, including one Guangzhou tech worker who claims to have spent RMB 160k ($27k) in six days before he snapped out of it.