History of Colorado Lottery in Timeline

The Colorado Lottery is a state-run lottery organization in Colorado, functioning under the auspices of the state government. It is also a member of the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL), indicating its participation in multi-state lottery games.

January 24, 1983: Colorado Lottery Begins

On January 24, 1983, the Colorado Lottery began, initially selling only scratch tickets.

April 23, 1983: First Drawing Takes Place

On April 23, 1983, the first drawing of the Colorado Lottery took place.

January 24, 1989: Colorado Lotto Began

On January 24, 1989, Colorado Lotto began with drawings on Saturdays.

July 18, 1990: Wednesday Drawings Added

On July 18, 1990, Wednesday drawings were added to Colorado Lotto.

1992: Largest Colorado Lotto jackpot

In 1992, the largest Colorado Lotto jackpot was $27 million, won by Kim Walker of Boulder.

1992: Constitutional Amendment Approved

In 1992, voters approved a state constitutional amendment directing Colorado Lottery revenues to outdoor recreation, parks, trails, rivers, wildlife, and open space.

1996: Cash 5 Begins

In 1996, Cash 5 began, where players pick 5 numbers from 1 to 32 for each $1 game played.

April 2001: Colorado Joins MUSL

Since April 2001, Colorado has been a member of MUSL and Powerball has been available in Colorado since then.

2001: Powerball Available in Colorado

In 2001, Powerball became available in Colorado.

October 13, 2009: Mega Millions and MUSL Agreement

On October 13, 2009, the Mega Millions consortium and MUSL reached an agreement in principle to cross-sell Mega Millions and Powerball in U.S. lottery jurisdictions.

2009: Lucky-4-Life Began in Connecticut

In 2009, Lucky-4-Life began in Connecticut and changed its double matrix three times, expanding to a regional game.

2009: Lucky-4-Life Game Started

In 2009, Lucky-4-Life, which became Lucky for Life, began in Connecticut.

January 31, 2010: Cross-Selling of Mega Millions and Powerball Begins

On January 31, 2010, most lotteries with either game began selling tickets for both Mega Millions and Powerball.

May 16, 2010: Colorado Joins Mega Millions

On May 16, 2010, Colorado joined Mega Millions as part of the MUSL cross-selling agreement.

June 29, 2012: MatchPlay Ended

MatchPlay ended on June 29, 2012. It was drawn on Tuesdays and Fridays and games were $2 each.

April 2013: Pick 3 Begins

In April 2013, Pick 3 began, drawing three digits, each 0 through 9.

July 17, 2016: Colorado Joins Lucky for Life

On July 17, 2016, Colorado joined Lucky for Life.

September 2017: Lucky for Life Availability

As of September 2017, Lucky for Life is available in 24 states and the District of Columbia.

September 2017: Largest Powerball Jackpot Won

In September 2017, the largest Powerball jackpot won in Colorado was $133 million.

October 2017: Plays Increased

Since October 2017, Mega Millions plays have increased to $2 each, or $3 with the Megaplier.

September 22, 2019: Colorado Lotto Final Drawing

On September 22, 2019, Colorado Lotto's final drawing was held, after which it was replaced by Colorado Lotto+.

September 25, 2019: Colorado Lotto+ First Drawing

On September 25, 2019, Colorado Lotto+ replaced Colorado Lotto and had its first drawing, featuring a reduced game matrix and a multiplier for non-jackpot prizes.