Powerball Begins Aug. 4 In Colorado
Officials Confirm Start Date For Multistate Lottery
DENVER, 08:35 a.m. MDT July 18, 2001 -- Colorado's multistate Powerball lottery will begin on Aug. 4.
The start date had been closely guarded by Colorado Lottery officials but officials with the Powerball Multistate Lottery in Iowa have confirmed the start date.
"We've been working since November around the clock and our
efforts are paying off," said Todd Greco, Colorado Lottery.
Lottery officials were meeting Wednesday to confirm the date. An official announcement was expected to be announced at a news conference on Thursday.
Tickets for Powerball will be available at the same retail locations as other Colorado Lottery games.
Powerball is a U.S. lottery. Players choose five white balls from a pool of 49 and a red ball from a pool of 42. The odds of winning the jackpot by matching all five white balls and the red Powerball are 1 in 80.1 million.
Players can choose between getting all their money, after taxes, spread over 25 years or in one check. The lump-sum payment would come out to about half the jackpot. After the jackpot is won, it drops back to $10 million.
Colorado will be the 21st state to join Powerball.
Voters approved a referendum last November that authorized Colorado to participate in a multistate lottery. Colorado officials decided on Powerball, which has a $10 million minimum jackpot. The Colorado Lotto has a minimum jackpot of $1.5 million.
Last June, Sen. Doug Lamborn, R-Colorado Springs, filed a lawsuit to block the multistate lottery, claiming Powerball violates a provision in the state Constitution specifying that all lottery games must be supervised by the state.
He asked a judge for a temporary injunction to block Powerball
until the lawsuit is resolved.
Greco said that Lottery officials will continue to move forward with
plans to launch Powerball unless they are told by a judge to stop.
"It's all up to the court system," he said.
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"We've been working since November around the clock and our
efforts are paying off," said Todd Greco, Colorado Lottery.
Lottery officials were meeting Wednesday to confirm the date. An official announcement was expected to be announced at a news conference on Thursday.
Tickets for Powerball will be available at the same retail locations as other Colorado Lottery games.
Powerball is a U.S. lottery. Players choose five white balls from a pool of 49 and a red ball from a pool of 42. The odds of winning the jackpot by matching all five white balls and the red Powerball are 1 in 80.1 million.
Players can choose between getting all their money, after taxes, spread over 25 years or in one check. The lump-sum payment would come out to about half the jackpot. After the jackpot is won, it drops back to $10 million.
Colorado will be the 21st state to join Powerball.
Voters approved a referendum last November that authorized Colorado to participate in a multistate lottery. Colorado officials decided on Powerball, which has a $10 million minimum jackpot. The Colorado Lotto has a minimum jackpot of $1.5 million.
Last June, Sen. Doug Lamborn, R-Colorado Springs, filed a lawsuit to block the multistate lottery, claiming Powerball violates a provision in the state Constitution specifying that all lottery games must be supervised by the state.
He asked a judge for a temporary injunction to block Powerball
until the lawsuit is resolved.
Greco said that Lottery officials will continue to move forward with
plans to launch Powerball unless they are told by a judge to stop.
"It's all up to the court system," he said.
Copyright 2002 by TheDenverChannel.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
