USA Lotteries 

The six wonderful lotteries that you can play in Colorado

Kamal Kaur

Lotteries to play in Colorado

The Colorado Lottery is run by the state government of Colorado and is a member of the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL). The Colorado Lottery began on January 24, 1983, initially selling only scratch tickets. Its first drawing took place on April 23, 1983.  Since the Lottery’s inception in 1983 more than $5 billion has been paid out in prizes to the lucky winners.

Colorado Lottery revenues are directed, by a state constitutional amendment approved by voters in 1992, to outdoor recreation, parks, trails, rivers, wildlife, and open space. The Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) Trust Fund distributes 50 percent of Lottery proceeds through competitive grants to local governments and land trusts, while 40 percent is distributed to the Conservation Trust Fund, and 10 percent goes to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. After the GOCO cap is met, proceeds fall into the BEST fund (Building Excellent Schools Today).

Lottery games that you can play in Colorado

There are total of six lotto games that you can play in Colorado as well as instant scratchies. Powerball, Mega Millions, Lucky for Life, Lotto, Cash 5 and Pick 3. Powerball was not available in Colorado until 2001. Colorado joined Mega Millions on May 16, 2010 as part of the MUSL cross-selling agreement involving both major jackpot games. Colorado joined Lucky for Life on July 17, 2016; as of September 2017, Lucky for Life is available in 24 states and the District of Columbia. The game began in Connecticut in 2009, as Lucky-4-Life.

1. How to play Powerball in Colorado?

  • Select 5 from 69 numbers and 1 out of 26 numbers for the Powerball. Use a Playslip to choose your numbers or check the QP (Quick Pick) box for randomly generated numbers. Or, simply ask your retailer for a Powerball Quick Pick!
  • Powerball tickets cost $2 and are available at most Colorado retailers.
  • You can add the Power Play option for an extra $1 per line of play and multiply your winnings up to ten times the original amount (excluding jackpot and Match 5 prize). The Power Play multiplier (2, 3, 4, 5 or 10) is drawn before the Powerball winning numbers. The Power Play 10X multiplier applies only to drawings with jackpot amounts of $40 million to $150 million.
  • Purchase up to 13 weeks (26 drawings) in advance with Advance Play. Just check the Advance Play box on the Playslip or ask your retailer for it. You’ll play the same numbers for all drawings.

2. How to play Mega Millions in Colorado?

Select 5 from 70 numbers and 1 out of 25 numbers for Mega Ball. Use a Playslip to choose your numbers or check the QP (Quick Pick) box for randomly generated numbers. Or, simply ask your retailer for a Mega Millions Quick Pick!

Mega Millions tickets cost $2 and are available at most Colorado retailers. Add the Megaplier option for an extra $1 per line of play and multiply your winnings up to five times the original amount.The Megaplier multiplier (2, 3, 4 or 5) is drawn before the Mega Millions winning numbers.

Purchase up to 13 weeks (26 drawings) in advance with Advance Play and check the Advance Play box on the Playslip or ask your retailer for it. You’ll play the same numbers for all drawings.

3. How to play Lucky for Life in Colorado?

  • Select 5 out of 48 numbers and 1 out of 18 numbers for Lucky Ball. Use a Playslip to choose your numbers or check the QP (Quick Pick) box for randomly generated numbers. Or, simply ask your retailer for a Lucky for Life Quick Pick!
  • Lucky for Life tickets cost $2 and are available at most Colorado retailers.
  • You can purchase up to 13 weeks (26 drawings) in advance with Advance Play. Just check the Advance Play box on the Playslip or ask your retailer for it. You’ll play the same numbers for all drawings.

4. How to play Lotto in Colorado?

  • Select 6 out of 42 numbers. Use a Playslip to choose your numbers or check the QP (Quick Pick) box for randomly generated numbers. Or, simply ask your retailer for a Lotto Quick Pick!
  • Lotto tickets cost $1 and are available at most Colorado retailers.
  • Purchase up to 13 weeks (26 drawings) in advance with Advance Play. Just check the Advance Play box on the Playslip or ask your retailer for it. You’ll play the same numbers for all drawings.

5. How to play Cash 5 in Colorado?

  • Select 5 out of 32 numbers. Use a Playslip to choose your numbers or check the QP (Quick Pick) box for randomly generated numbers. Or, simply ask your retailer for a Cash 5 Quick Pick!
  • Cash 5 tickets cost $1 and are available at most Colorado retailers. For an extra $1, ask for EZ Match to win instantly at check-out.
  • Purchase up to 13 weeks (91 drawings) in advance with Advance Play. Just check the Advance Play box on the Playslip or ask your retailer for it. You’ll play the same numbers for all drawings.
  • If you purchase Cash 5 EZ Match for an extra $1, you’ll find out at check-out if you’re an instant winner.

6. How to play Pick 3 in Colorado?

Select three numbers from 0 through 9. The numbers selected can be three separate numbers or may be duplicated in a single play. For example: ‘537’ or ‘009’ or ‘339’. You can win more when you play two duplicate numbers rather than unique numbers on an Any Order bet type!

You can also simply ask for a QP (Quick Pick) and the terminal will generate your numbers for you.

Select Your Bet Type You can place a $.50 wager for the following bet types:

  • Exact Order
  • Any Order
  • Front Pair
  • Back Pair

You can place a $1.00, $2.00, $5.00 wager for the following bet types:

  • Exact Order
  • Any Order
  • Exact Order + Any Order
  • Front Pair
  • Back Pair

Pick either Midday, Evening or both. You can play up to 28 drawings for just Midday or just Evening drawings. If you play both, you can play up to 56 drawings.

To check the result of all these above six lotteries you can do so with your cell phone or at your email address if you sign up for MyLottery. Winning numbers are also available from retailers, your local newspaper, on the late news on some television stations, and at online sites. Note that you must be at least 18 year of age to play the above lotteries.