Scratch-off tickets are going blue and orange as the Denver Broncos team up with the Colorado Lottery for the first time since the National Football League relaxed some rules banning team-affiliated gambling.
Colorado hopes to raise about $1 million in proceeds for state parks, open space and other recreational offerings, said Roxy Huber, executive director of the state Department of Revenue.
The $5 tickets featuring 20 scratch-off helmets with the Broncos logo debuted Monday and pay up to $100,000 each.
“After (Sunday), we can all agree our new tagline ‘Luck Happens’ fits the bill,” Huber joked in reference to the Broncos’ finish in Cincinnati.
Losing tickets can be entered into drawings for second-chance prizes such as one of 50 sets of 2010 season tickets, luxury-suite tickets to the Dec. 20 game against the Oakland Raiders or trips to away games.
The state will issue 1.8 million tickets that carry a 1-in-3.9 chance of a win when tickets that break even are included.
The new program should generate a total of $9 million, including the $1 million for parks, if tickets sell out. Players will get about 70 percent of that money back, or about $6.3 million.
Although the Colorado Lottery has had deals with other local sports franchises such as the Rockies and Nuggets, NFL rules barred similar affiliations. Team owners threw out those rules May 19.
Jessica Fender: 303-954-1244 or jfender@denverpost.com
