Colorado Lottery
The Colorado Lottery offers a mix of draw games with progressive jackpots, daily drawings with fixed top prizes, and dozens of scratch-off tickets with prizes topping out at more than $3 million.
Although the Colorado Lottery doesn’t offer online ticket sales, several lottery courier apps have received retailer licenses and accept orders online from players located anywhere within state lines. Read on for all the details of how to buy Colorado Lottery tickets online, which courier apps offer scratch-offs, and more.
Play the Colorado Lottery Online
$3 Off First Tickets
Must be 18 or older to play the lottery. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER. Please visit Terms of Service at Jackpocket.com for full terms of service.
One Free TicketJackpot.com Promo Code: BUSALOTTO
You must be 18 or older to order a lottery ticket. Please play responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1800-GAMBLER; residents of New York call the HOPE line at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or text HOPENY (467369).
Ticket Discounts
18/21+, T&Cs Apply. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
The complete Colorado Lottery games list includes:
- Multi-State Jackpots: Powerball, Mega Millions, and Lucky for Life
- State-Operated Jackpot Game: Colorado Lotto+
- Daily Drawings: Cash 5 and Pick 3
- Scratchers: 100+ scratchers at prices ranging from $1 to $50
How to Buy Colorado Lottery Tickets Online
The Colorado Lottery does not sell lottery tickets or subscriptions online.
However, players can place orders for Colorado Lottery tickets and scratchers online via the following courier apps:
Colorado Lottery App Review
The Colorado Lottery offers a relatively basic app for iOS and Android, with standard features like a ticket scanner, retail location finder, and winning results.
Regular lottery players will probably find the Colorado Lottery app useful, but it’s pretty limited compared to other state lottery apps and could use an overhaul to expand its capabilities.
The app’s most noteworthy features include:
- Ticket scanner to check scratchers and draw games for winners
- Automatic entry to second chance Bonus Draws when scanning tickets
- List of current Colorado scratch tickets, including prizes remaining and claim deadlines
- Custom alerts for jackpot thresholds, promotions, and more
- Nearest Colorado Lottery retailer locator
The Colorado Lottery ticket scanner function is strong in three areas that most state lottery apps flub: it’s reliable, works for draw game tickets and scratchers, and it enters players into Bonus Drawings.
However, the ticket scanner has one major and frustrating drawback: it does not display winnings amounts for “security reasons.” If a player scans a winning ticket, all they see is a message telling them that they may have a winner and to visit the nearest retailer for details.
Other state lottery apps show winning amounts in the app, so it’s unclear why Colorado’s is different. The ticket scanner function is still a timesaver for regular players who have many tickets to scan and enter into Bonus Draws, but players who only have the occasional ticket to scan may not find it worthwhile.
Colorado Lottery App Screenshots
Is It Legal to Buy Lottery Tickets Online in Colorado?
Colorado law does not criminalize purchasing lottery tickets online, but it does prohibit licensed retailers from selling them online.
Lottery courier services operate in a legal grey area because they accept orders from customers online but complete all purchase orders by purchasing physical tickets from licensed retailers. In short, couriers thread the legal needle by charging a convenience/delivery fee, not by selling tickets at marked-up prices directly to customers.
The Colorado Lottery communicates conflicting messages to the public regarding lottery couriers, and regulatory updates are likely on the way.
For example, Lotto.com and Jackpocket each operate a licensed Colorado Lottery retail location where they fulfill customers’ online orders and serve walk-in traffic.
Both couriers informed the Colorado Lottery of their intentions and explained their business models when applying for licenses to operate their retail locations. Jackpocket even held a presentation for the Lottery Commission before launching in Colorado. The Colorado Lottery approved both operators for retail licenses.
On the other hand, the FAQ page on the Colorado Lottery website provides contradictory answers regarding online ticket sales and couriers.
In an FAQ item about online ticket sales, the Colorado Lottery states that any “internet lottery site” that sells tickets or offers to “run a service for you” is illegal. However, an FAQ item about subscriptions on that same page seems to suggest lottery couriers as a viable way to order subscriptions online.
A routine performance audit of the Colorado Lottery conducted in 2023 indicates regulation is likely on the way. Auditors investigated the lottery courier business model in detail, including visiting the retail locations of Lotto.com and Jackpocket to observe their operations and ask questions.
The audit stopped short of calling lottery couriers illegal but concluded that “while the letter of the law might be followed under this courier sales model, it may not be in the spirit under which the laws were created.”
Ultimately, the audit advised the Colorado Lottery and the Lottery Commission to identify any changes needed to regulate lottery couriers and ensure their legality.
Colorado Lottery Games
| Game | Cost | Record Jackpot | Payout Percentage* | Jackpot Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powerball | $2 | $2.04B | 50% | 1 in 292.2M |
| Mega Millions | $2 | $1.54B | 50% | 1 in 302.6M |
| Lucky For Life | $2 | $1k/day for Life | 50% | 1 in 30.8M |
| Lotto+ | $2 | $27M | 55.5% | 1 in 3.8M |
| Cash 5 | $1 | $20K Fixed | 55.29% | 1 in 201K |
| Pick 3 | $0.50 | $2,500 Fixed ($5 Bet) | Varies | 1 in 1K |
*=Percentage of sales returned to players as prizes
How to Claim Colorado Lottery Prizes
The Colorado Lottery claims process varies depending on the amount won.
Prizes of $599 or Less:
- In person at your nearest lottery retailer for a cash payout
- Mail your signed ticket to the Colorado Lottery headquarters at the address below for a check in the mail
Prizes of $600 or More:
- In person at any of the Colorado Lottery’s four claim centers (bring a valid, government-issued photo ID and your ticket)
- Claim your prize online here
- Mail a claim form and signed ticket to the Colorado Lottery headquarters in Pueblo for a check in the mail
Colorado Lottery Headquarters:
Colorado Lottery
PO BOX 7
Pueblo, CO, 81002
Claims Centers:
- Pueblo: 225 N Main Street, Pueblo, CO 81003
- Fort Collins: 3030 S College Ave, Ste 100, Ft. Collins, CO 80525
- Lakewood: 1881 Pierce Street, Lakewood, CO 80214
- Grand Junction: 222 S 6th Street, Room 112, Grand Junction, CO 81501
Contact the Colorado Lottery
Players can contact the Colorado Lottery at 1-800-999-2959 or via e-mail here.
Colorado Lottery FAQ
Randy Ray is a recognized gambling expert, with industry experience dating back to the early 2000’s.