Colorado Lottery: Review, Mobile App Information, & History

Colorado Lottery Games

As of May 2020, sports betting was legalized in Colorado, but the Colorado state lottery still takes center stage. There are several Colorado state lottery games to be played and we can claim Colorado Lottery prizes for them all. The Mega Millions and CO Powerball are the two biggest games in the Colorado Lottery collection.

These are the main jackpot games where a life changing prize can be won. Other than that there are several draw games and instant games that players try. And if you'd like to have more control over the result of you wager, and even bet with you passion for the hometown teams, check out Colorado sports betting sites and more.

Colorado Draw Games

A draw game is a Colorado Lottery game where the winning numbers are, well, drawn. There are different tier levels for prizes, and jackpots can be lucrative - they often rollover until someone hits the jackpot prize. Buy a ticket for a Colorado state lottery draw game, pick your numbers and hope you have a winning ticket in the Lottery results.

Colorado Lotto Plus	W and Sa – 7:35 p.m.
Lucky For Life	Every day – 8:38 p.m.
Cash 5	Every day – 7:35 p.m.
Pick 3	Every day – 1:30 and 7:30 p.m.

Colorado Lotto Plus Colorado Lotto Plus (Lotto+1) is a lotto game exclusive to the state. Again, pay $2 a line and choose 6 numbers from 40. Alternatively, hope for the latest winning numbers with the quick-pick feature. Add Colo Lotto Plus and play those same numbers for a second drawing. As above, buy up to 13 weeks (26 drawings) in advance by using the Advance Play feature and maybe you will be hitting that lucky jackpot win. CO Lotto Plus Draws run Wednesdays and Saturdays at around 7:30 p.m. Top prize is $250,000, but the jackpot can pass $1 million.
Pick 3 The Colorado Pick 3 Lottery game is your best chance of a payout on each day of the week. Simply choose three numbers (they can be the same: 5-5-5) from 0-9 and potentially win up to $2,500. Colorado Pick 3 draws are held twice daily. Tickets cost 50¢ to $5, depending on your wager. Your chances of winning are from 1 in 100 to 1 in 1000, depending on the number match. You must be 18+ to purchase Pick 3 lotto tickets, which are available at most retailers in state. Play up to 28 drawings in advance. Get your three numbers in, matched in the exact order you picked them, and you win the top prize of $2,500 if you purchased a $5 ticket to chase that jackpot.
Cash 5 It's easy to play Colorado Cash 5, and you can win the jackpot top prize daily of $20,000. Pick five numbers from the 32 available, or utilize the Cash 5 quick pick. Tickets cost $1. You must be 18 or older to buy a lottery ticket in Colorado. For an extra $1, you can qualify for EZ Match to potentially win instantly. Play multiple drawings with Cash 5 where you can pick your numbers up to 13 weeks (91 draws) ahead of time. Simply enter your numbers and check those texts and e-mails to see if you've won in the daily Colorado Cash 5 Lottery draw. Overall odds of a prize in Cash 5 are 1 in 6.2. Total payouts equal 50% of sales.

Colorado Lottery Keno

In Colorado, Keno games are available only in licensed, land-based establishments – we can't play them online on the Colorado Lottery site (the same criteria as other Lottery games). Online Keno games are still illegal in the state. Keno is a lottery-style game originating in China, with rules are very similar to other Colo Lotto games. It involves picking numbers from 80 on the board or play slip, and hoping they match some of the numbers drawn at random.

Multi-State Draw Games

Multi-state draw games are big jackpot draw games – Powerball and Mega Millions – played all around the US. Currently, 45 states take part in the lottery. US lottery players can join in with a host of great multi-state lottery draws in addition to Powerball and Mega Millions, like Lucky For Life.

The Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) is a US non-profit organization that runs Powerball in addition to myriad other popular US-based draw games. You must be within Colorado state lines for ticket sales, but you can travel interstate and still be eligible to claim Colorado Lottery prizes.

Colorado Powerball The ever-popular Powerball is a multi-state game with massive jackpots starting at $40 million, and the jackpot grows until someone wins. Just pick 5 of your lucky numbers and 1 Powerball number. You can choose the Power Play option to increase your winnings, but this doesn't include the jackpot prize. There is a 10X multiplier included when the Powerball jackpot lies between $40 million and $150 million. Prizes equal 50% of overall sales. Overall odds of winning a cash prize payout are 1 in 25. It's about a 1-in-300-million shot to win the Powerball CO jackpot.
Colorado Mega Millions Mega Millions is also a multi-state game that is popular in the Colo Lottery and the state's recreation facilities, where the top jackpot prize starts at $15 million. In the same way as Colorado Powerball, the jackpot prize grows until there’s a winner. Choose 5 numbers and one Mega Ball number, and consider buying the Megaplier, which could multiply your winnings up to 5x. Mega Millions Colorado lotto ticket buyers must be 18 or older. Prizes equal 50 percent of overall sales. Overall odds of getting lucky and winning a Colorado Mega Millions prize are 1 in 24. The odds of winning the overall jackpot are 1 in 302,000,000.
Lucky For Life Pay $2 and choose 5 numbers from 48 (and 1 from 18 for the Lucky Ball), or ask for a quick pick and the system will generate your numbers for you. You can buy up to 13 weeks (91 drawings) in advance by asking for Advance Play. Drawings are held seven days a week at 8:38 p.m. The top prize delivers what it claims: You will receive $1,000 a day for the rest of your life should you win, which comes to a projected average value of nearly $6 million. It's about 1 in 30,000,000 to win this top prize.

Instant Win Games

With draw games we are picking numbers and waiting for them to be "drawn" out in one of the daily or weekly draws. We can do the "Pick 3" or "Cash 5" games running daily with a higher probability of a win, or we wait for the big jackpot money Colorado draw games.

Instant games can come in the form of scratch games, where the instant fun of scratching for a win is the attraction. Just buy your ticket whatever day you like, scratch the play area and see if you’ve won that big-money prize. There are 40-50 instant games or scratch games each year, and you have a 1 in 4 chance of winning anywhere from $1 to $3 million.

If you are familiar with sports wagering, instant wins are similar in pace to the live betting that you can do during games if you have any of the Colorado sports betting apps.

Colorado Lottery App

You can get more from your Jackpot Colorado Lotto games using the app, but tickets can't yet be purchased online in Colorado. You can enter your favorite numbers on the Colorado Lottery app, and if they're drawn you'll be notified via text as to your winnings, whether your cash prize is big or small.

You can't buy a Jackpot ticket through your mobile app, but if you have one it will automatically be entered into any available Bonus Draws that you may be eligible for via previous Colorado Lottery results. Become one of Colorado Lottery’s big winners using the Colo Lotto app and join the 435-plus millionaires. The app is also handy to have in case of any lost tickets, and you easily can see your numbers for the next drawing.

Season Tickets

Season Ticket programs in US state lotteries are there to create a convenient, safe and secure process for players of any bet type. Colorado does not accept online payments or longer-term payments over that of 13 weeks from Advance Play at the physical ticket sales terminals dotted around Colorado state.

Season Tickets are available online for the US Lottery in states where all Season Ticket purchases must be done on the internet or by phone. Payment methods for Season Tickets – if and when they are legalized in Colorado – likely will be credit card, debit card and eCheck.

Colorado Lottery History

The Colorado Lottery started in 1983. The Colorado state lottery is a self-funded organization, via its business revenue. The Colorado Government's mission is to ensure that all games marketed and advertised by the Colorado Lottery are done so with security, protection and integrity. The organization of the Colorado Lottery ensures that all Colorado Lottery games, such as Colorado Powerball and Colorado Mega Millions, represent the core values of Colorado state its population.

The CO Lottery Commission is composed of five members appointed by the Governor of Colorado, with the consent and approval of the Colorado Senate. One member of the Commission must have been a law enforcement officer for five years or more. Another member must have been an attorney practicing in Colorado for at least five years and one other member has to have been a certified public accountant in Colorado for a five-plus years. This means you can be sure of accurate Colorado lottery results.

In the Colorado state lottery, players choose 6 numbers on the card, and prizes are awarded for matching from 3 numbers up to all 6, with cash prize and jackpot payouts obviously increasing the more numbers you match in the draws. The rollover jackpot will keep growing until someone wins. With single- or double-play tickets, you can be "Lucky For Life" with that jackpot prize.

Colorado Lottery FAQ

Yes, Colorado lottery winners are allowed to shield their personal information from being disclosed. We wouldn't want an issue of money being stolen from CO state lottery winners would we? If you do travel to other states and participate there, privacy rules may be different.

In Colorado, Lottery tickets must be purchased using cash or debit card in physical locations. You must purchase your tickets at stores and lotto terminals in-state. Online purchasing of lotto tickets still isn't legalized in Colorado, even if you have the Colorado Lottery app.

You can double-check your numbers through the mobile Colorado Lottery app before signing the back of your ticket and cashing it in. If it's a big win, claim at a Lottery Claim Center with your completed claim form. You can do all this by mail: Colorado Lottery, P.O. Box 7, Pueblo, CO, 81002.

You can purchase your lottery tickets in Colorado up to 1 minute before the draw is set to take place, but it is advised not to leave it until so late. Who wants to tell the story about you not having a ticket when your numbers won because the person in front of you wanted to pay in change.

Colorado Lotto+ is available only in Colorado. Ticket buyers must be at least 18. To date it has created more than 435 millionaires. Additionally, the smaller jackpot Pick 3 and Cash 5 are for residents of and visitors in Colorado.

Colo Lottery players have 180 days to claim their cash prize from a winning ticket in Colorado.

The state tax on Lottery winnings in Colorado is 4.40% (to be paid on top of federal taxes).

You can play Cash 5 or Pick 3 for a higher probability of a return in the lotto. Or, scratch away playing an instant win game. You can play Cash 5 daily, and win if just 2 numbers from your five come in.

Yes there is a Colorado state Lottery app you can use to scan your tickets but you cannot purchase tickets through the app yet.

Author

Bryan Nicholson

@NicsPicks

Bryan Nicholson a world-renowned golf betting expert who gladly expands his expertise into covering other emerging betting markets like odds boosts and parlay bets.