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Colorado Lottery violations detailed in reportNews Story
Report cites gift-taking, coziness with vendors for 4 yearsThe Colorado Bureau of Investigation has sent the Arapahoe County district attorney a report that details widespread gift-taking and policy violations in the offices of the Colorado Lottery.The report focuses largely on the last four years of the tenure of former Lottery head Mark Zamarripa, alleging that he presided over a culture of coziness with vendors, according to sources familiar with the report.Department of Revenue chief M. Mich
Mar 10, 2004, 4:16 am - Lottery News

Colorado Lottery marketing director put on paid leave, probe continuesNews Story
The director of the Colorado Lottery has placed the Lottery's marketing director on paid administrative leave, and the Cabinet member who oversees the Lottery said Monday that more may follow as a probe into the Lottery continues. I can't say that this is where it ends in terms of employees who are affected, said M. Michael Cooke, chief of the state Department of Revenue. That remains to be seen. Dan Noreen, a longtime Lottery employee making $100,284 a year, was placed on leave Thursday.Noree
Mar 2, 2004, 6:03 am - Lottery News

One person wins $8.5 million Colorado LotteryNews Story
One person matched all six numbers in Saturdays Colorado Lotto drawing, winning the $8.5 million jackpot.The winning numbers were 8, 19, 21, 26, 29 and 40. The cash value of the jackpot is $4.5 million.Twenty-five players matched five of the six numbers, winning prizes of $496. Prizes of $43 will be awarded to 1,061 players, who matched four of the six numbers.Lotto drawings are held each Wednesday and Saturday. The jackpot for Wednesdays drawing will go back down to $1 million.
Mar 1, 2004, 4:33 am - Lottery News

Bill created to clean up Colorado lotteryNews Story
Concerned over an audit that found problems with the Colorado Lottery, lawmakers began work Tuesday on a bill that would require ethics training and criminal background checks of all lottery officials, including the governor's appointees. The lottery is the kind of thing we need to clean up in state government, said Sen. Ron Tupa, D-Boulder, chairman of the Legislative Audit Committee.The bill would require lottery commissioners, who are appointed by the governor, to undergo ethics training, ba
Feb 11, 2004, 6:06 am - Lottery News

Colorado Lottery contracts not renewedNews Story
The Colorado Department of Revenue will not extend two key Colorado Lottery contracts, choosing instead to seek new bids for advertising and public relations services.The move comes in the midst of a criminal probe into the timing of gifts given to top Lottery officials by vendors doing business with the agency and as Department of Revenue Executive Director M. Michael Cooke reviews all of the Lottery's contracts to make sure they were crafted fairly. It's a perfect time for us to look at these
Feb 4, 2004, 5:26 am - Lottery News

Colorado lottery official retires amid controversyNews Story
Turner leaves post after questions about his conductA week after facing questions about whether he had offered immunity from prosecution to three gambling regulators who worked under him, a senior state Department of Revenue official abruptly retired.George Turner, one of the most powerful bureaucrats at the department, who for years oversaw the state's lottery and casino industry, had been on paid administrative leave since Jan. 6 while officials investigated.He gave his notice to retire from h
Jan 31, 2004, 6:37 pm - Lottery News

Audit finds misuse of Colorado Lottery fundNews Story
Legislation, rule changes seek tighter tracking of spendingColorado state leaders Tuesday unveiled plans to curb substantial problems uncovered by a newly released audit of Colorado's conservation trust fund, a multimillion-dollar pot of lottery profits that is supposed to pay for parks and recreation.A state audit released Tuesday found that more than $1.2 million of the fund's expenditures in 2002 were spent by local governments in ways the state does not allow.The audit also criticized 10 c
Jan 28, 2004, 9:20 am - Lottery News

Colorado Lottery trying to win back trustNews Story
The Colorado Lottery Commission took an important step toward sprucing up the agency's increasingly tarnished image this week by approving tough new conflict-of-interest rules.For a department that relies on ticket-buying citizens for the bulk of its money, a clean reputation can't be underestimated.The new rules prohibit employees from accepting any gifts from companies that do business with the Lottery. In the past, those same companies wined and dined employees, took them to Denver Broncos ga
Jan 16, 2004, 6:00 am - Lottery News

Rapid reforms vowed for Colorado LotteryNews Story
A powerful state legislator suggested Monday that the Colorado Lottery should face more frequent audits to prdvent repeats of abuses uncovered over the past two months.In addition, the Cabinet member who oversees the Lottery said she expects that by June 30 a complete reform of that agency will be in place. We're taking the lottery back to zero ... and looking at everything, state Department of Revenue chief M. Michael Cooke told the legislature's Joint Budget Committee. We're committed to wor
Jan 6, 2004, 3:43 am - Lottery News

Colorado appoints new lottery chiefNews Story
An official with the Colorado Department of Public Safety's criminal justice division has been tapped to lead the Colorado Lottery, an agency under investigation and, auditors say, fraught with mismanagement.Margaret M. Peggy' Gordon pledged Monday to restore confidence in Colorado's lottery.'Gordon, 54, is the victim compensation administrator with the state's Office for Victims Programs, where she has served since 1997. She will take over the lottery's top job Jan. 1.She replaces Mark Zamarr
Dec 23, 2003, 5:20 am - Lottery News