Even if you don't buy a Powerball ticket before Wednesday's big $1.5 billion drawing, you probably win. At least, if you enjoy the Colorado outdoors, you win.
So far, at least $13 million worth of Powerball tickets have been sold here this week, according to Colorado Lottery's Brooke Christopher. That spike in ticket sales translates to about $3.1 million for recreation around the state.
How's that work? Christopher says that of every dollar of ticket sales, about 24 cents goes to Colorado's outdoors. And back in 1994, voters decided to send lottery profits outside: 50 percent to Great Outdoors Colorado, 40 percent to the Conservation Trust Fund and 10 percent to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Department.
Though it's still too soon to say whether this Powerball drawing will set records for ticket sales, Christopher did say that the run is an "unprecedented" spike.
"We still have about four months left in the fiscal year," she said. "But I think it's safe to say we're in a position to possibly break our record."
Earlier this week, Christopher told CPR News that Powerball alone brought $26 million last year for projects around the state.
