Every time you visit a park, walk on a trail, or paddle a kayak course, thank people who play the games of the Colorado Lottery. The entire state benefits from funds generated by the Lottery. More than $2 billion has been returned to the state for parks, recreation, open space, conservation education and wildlife projects since the Lottery started in 1983. In Fiscal Year 2009 alone, more than $119.6 million went back to the state. The recipients were:

Conservation Trust Fund
Local parks and recreation providers – towns, cities, counties and special districts – receive money from the Conservation Trust Fund (CTF) in proportion to their population. More than $47.8 million was distributed through the fund in FY 2009 for open space and land acquisition, equipment purchases, facility development, park maintenance, and renovation or restoration of local facilities.

Colorado Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation
Colorado’s 42 state parks use Lottery money for trail construction and maintenance, land acquisition, equipment and facility purchases and maintenance of state parks facilities. Nearly $12 million was distributed directly to Colorado Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation in Fiscal Year 2009.

Great Outdoors Colorado
Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) gives money to projects across the state that impact communities. Funds have built trails, helped open recreation facilities, preserved ranchlands and view corridors, improved and expanded river quality and access, and conserved wildlife habitat. The Colorado Lottery is GOCO’s only funding source, and gives GOCO 50 percent of proceeds, capped at $35 million in 1992 dollars, and adjusted for inflation. If this percentage exceeds the adjusted $35 million cap, the remainder goes to underfunded public school districts to address facility safety issues. In FY 2009, the distribution to GOCO was $54.3 million.

School Health and Safety
When the Colorado Lottery joined Powerball in 1992, the distribution formula changed to include funding for school health and safety issues. Referendum E mandates that GOCO receive 50 percent of Lottery proceeds up to $35 million (in 1992 dollars), with the spillover being used for the Public School Capital Construction Assistance Fund. In FY 2009, $5.5 million was distributed to this fund.

 

*GOCO was capped at $35 million in 1992. Any funds in excess of that go to the Colorado Department of Education, Public School Capital Construction Assistance Fund. Since 2002, $45 million has been distributed to the Colorado Department of Education.