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Colorado wins with Powerball ticket sales

<p>Denver7 reporter Brendaliss Gonzalez tells us how sales from the Powerball lottery are helping Colorado.</p>
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People around the nation lined up to purchase a Powerball ticket after the winnings shot up to $500 million on Wednesday, but the ticket holders aren’t the only ones who will benefit from sales.

Each state gets revenue from ticket sales in their area, including Colorado.

“More than likely every single person that lives in Colorado feels the impact of how lottery funds are used because here in Colorado we love the outdoors,” said Brooke Christopher, spokesperson for the Colorado Lottery.
 
On Wednesday alone, Colorado sold $2 million in Powerball tickets.

"That's what we would normally sell in a week," said Colorado Lottery spokeswoman Kelly Tabor.

Only about 62 percent of every ticket sale goes to the Powerball jackpot.

A $2 Powerball ticket breaks down like this:

  • $1.24 - Powerball jackpot
  • 14 cents - Colorado Lottery administrative costs
  • 14 cents - Retailers that sell lottery
  • 24 cents - GoCo (Great Outdoors Colorado) for state parks, trails and open spaces
  • 19 cents - Conservation Trust Fund for local parks and recreation
  • 5 cents - Colorado Parks and Wildlife

"Having these big 'jackpot runs,' as we call them, absolutely help us meet all of our proceeds goals," said Tabor. "Next time you're in a state park or a dog park or on a bike trail, thank a lottery player."

More than $2.8 billion have been used toward Great Outdoors Colorado during the past 33 years.
 
For all Colorado lotteries played from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015, GoCo received nearly $62 million, Conservation Trust Fund received $51 million and Colorado Parks and Wildlife received $12.8 million.
 
ABC News reports there were no winners in the $500 million Powerball jackpot on Wednesday. The jackpot increases to an estimated $675 million for Saturday's drawing, the largest in U.S. history. 

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