Are you a Colorado lottery winner- Here’s what you need to do to claim your million dollars

Colorado offers six great lotteries to play and the most popular among them are Powerball and Mega Millions. Lately in September 2017 a player Judy Finchum won the $133.2 million Powerball jackpot in Saturday’s drawing.  He picked all six numbers of 6-9-16-18-26-31 and won the $3 million jackpot. This was the second million-dollar jackpot winner in the same city of Grand Junction in less than a week as another player too won the same lotto from same city.

The winning ticket was sold at a Walmart Fuel Center won $100,000 and a ticket sold at a Safeway won $50,000. Another player too became Wednesday’s Lotto winner and the winning ticket was sold at a City Market on Highway 50 South.

Each month there are many lottery winners from this state and winners come to the lottery calin centers to get their big or small payouts each day. So the big question that comes into the mind of every lottery player is how to claim their wins which are over million dollars at many a times. Here’s what you need to do to claim your wins.

• First sign the back of your winning ticket before you go to claim your winning prize to protect you against loss or theft. Only one signature will be accepted.
• Double check your numbers and be sure they’re for the draw date printed on your ticket and that you have really won.

If you win $599 or Less

Check with your local retailer to see if they’ll award you your prize, or visit and claim at any of the four Lottery Claim Centers. Mail your signed winning ticket to Colorado Lottery, PO BOX 7, Pueblo, CO 81002. It will take one to two weeks for processing, and a check will be mailed to you. You have 180 days to claim your prize.

If you win $599 or More

You must claim at a Colorado Lottery Claim Center in person or you can mail your completed Colorado Lottery Prize Claim Form and signed winning ticket to Colorado Lottery, PO BOX 7, Pueblo, CO 81002. Again one to two weeks takes for processing, and a check will be mailed to you. Incomplete forms may result in a delay. You have 180 days to claim your prize.

There will be deductions in winning $5,001 or more: 29 percent will be withheld from your prize for taxes (25% federal; 4% state) and 34 percent will be withheld from your prize for taxes (30% federal; 4% state) if you do not have a social security number.

• Complete the Colorado Lottery Prize Claim Form. You’ll have to complete additional forms provided by the Colorado Lottery.
• Only one person can be designated as the prize recipient and that person must sign the winning ticket. If sharing the tax liability with others, it is the responsibility of the ticket bearer and signee to distribute the winnings to the other parties.
• Bring a photo I.D. and your Social Security number, if you have one. Acceptable identification includes: driver’s license, passport, military ID card, green card – or any form of government-issued identification with photo.
• Call ahead to the Lottery Claims Center at 800-999-2959 and let them know when you’ll be coming in to claim the jackpot.

In case you win a jackpot as part of the Open Records Act, lottery will be  required to release to the public your name, hometown, amount you won and the game you played. This information will be posted on coloradolottery.com and will be provided to media upon request. You will be interviewed by the Colorado Lottery Media Relations team and a press release will be distributed to local media outlets. You may also be asked to participate in a press conference to answer questions directly from reporters. TheMedia Relations team will work closely with you to ensure your comfort with the process.

You’ll be asked to have your picture taken which will appear on lottery “Wall of Winners,” in-store Lottery display monitors, lottery website, and Facebook and Twitter social media outlets.

Few points to note

If you win a large prize amount, you take some time and explore your financial options. Seek out reputable financial experts, and ask a lot of questions as whether you wish to take annuity or not. An annuity is a series of fixed payments or graduated payments paid out over a specified period. A jackpot winner will be paid the full estimated prize amount over a period of time that is determined by the game won.

Games Eligible for Annuity Payments and Payouts are

Powerball: You have 60 days after ticket validation to determine the payment selection of cash vs. annuity.   Cash and/or the first annuity payment is paid out no earlier than fifteen (15) calendar days of ticket validation. If Annuity is selected it will be paid in 30 graduated payments. Annuity payments will be made annually close to the anniversary date of the claim.

Mega Millions: You have 60 days after ticket validation to determine the payment selection of cash vs. annuity.  Cash can be paid on the day of validation.  Annuity is paid in 30 graduated payments with the first payment being made on the date of ticket validation.  Subsequent annuity payments will be made annually close to the anniversary date of the claim.

Lotto: You have the choice of cash vs. annuity.  Cash is paid on the day of validation.  An annuity will be paid in 25 annual instalments with the first annuity payment being 2.5% of the jackpot share.  Following annuity payments will increase each year until the entire amount is paid.  The customer has 60 days after ticket validation to change the selection from the annuity option to the cash option.

Lucky for Life: You have the choice of cash vs. annuity for the top prize and second prize.  Cash will be paid no sooner than twenty (20) business days but no later than 60 days after ticket validation.  If annuity is selected, the initial payment will be made at the time of the claim.  All subsequent payments will be made on a weekly basis for the top prize and on a yearly basis for the second prize from the date the prize is claimed.

Also note that the cash value of the jackpot is approximately 50 percent of the advertised, estimated jackpot.