News writer
Colorado Lottery players were busy scratching and chasing jackpots over the past year. Thanks to the record-breaking instant ticket sales, they helped the state lottery finish fiscal year 2026 with almost $888 million in total revenue. For scratch-off tickets, they reached a new high as ticket sales jumped more than 20%, reaching $613 million in FY2026. That was a record high, but helped bring more than $181 million for programs that benefit Colorado’s parks, trails, wildlife, and outdoor spaces.
New Colorado Lottery record
The biggest driver of Colorado Lottery sales during FY2026 was scratch-off tickets.
During the fiscal year, which ran from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, players spent over $613 million on these instant lottery tickets. This set a new annual sales record, which was slightly higher than last year’s numbers.
Draw games also enjoyed a big boost in sales. For FY2026, jackpot game sales topped $274 million, which was an increase of over 20% compared to the previous year.
According to lottery officials, this increase in sales can be attributed to the growth in large national jackpots in September and December 2025. The bigger jackpot runs tend to attract more attention from both regular and occasional players, which leads to an increase in ticket sales.
This strong performance for both scratch-off and jackpot games helped push the total Colorado Lottery revenue to almost $888 million for the fiscal year.
Colorado Lottery gives back almost $181 million
These record sales weren’t just good news for the state lottery and its players. No, they also help generate a significant amount of money for programs throughout the state.
For FY2026, over $181 million in lottery revenue went to beneficiaries.
Who benefited from this? To start, Great Outdoors Colorado, better known as GOCO, receives 50% of lottery proceeds up to an annual cap. That cap was reached during the fiscal year, so GOCO received nearly $88 million.
Since GOCO reached the cap, this unlocked additional funding for other programs, which included over $2.7 million for the Outdoor Equity Grant Program.
In addition, the Conservation Trust Fund receives 40% of lottery proceeds. They are expected to receive over $72 million. The Colorado Parks and Wildlife will also receive over $18 million through its 10% share of direct lottery funding.
This money from the state lottery helps support projects involving parks, trails, wildlife, and open spaces throughout the state.
More lottery retailers added
Another reason for the increase in lottery sales: more lottery retailers.
During FY2026, the Colorado Lottery added 130 retail locations, and they also transitioned to a new gaming system. Lottery officials said they are working to modernize its operations and refresh the games they offer.
Colorado Lottery Senior Director Tom Seaver said, "We are adding more retailers than ever to our roster and believe these changes will allow us to support our proceeds partners well into the future.”
These lottery retailers also benefited from the increase in sales. Over $64 million went to retailers for selling lottery products.
For every dollar spent on Colorado Lottery games, approximately 63 cents is returned to players through prizes. About 20 cents goes toward proceeds beneficiaries.
The Colorado Lottery began in 1983. Since then, it has returned over $4.6 billion to outdoor projects across the state.
Keep in mind, lottery officials said these FY2026 sales and proceeds figures remain unaudited. They could change slightly when the final numbers are reported.
Enjoy playing the Colorado Lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.
