Auditors slam Colorado Lottery staff bonuses

The Colorado Lottery is getting criticized for its sales staff bonuses. State auditors say the Lottery has awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars without tying the payouts the actual sale performances.

An audit Monday found bonuses from the Colorado Lottery rapidly increased from $68,000 in 2009 to $394,000 last year. That’s for about 30 sales staff.

But lottery officials note that bonuses awarded before the recession, in 2008, were $406,000.

Department of Revenue Executive Director Barbara Brohl says lottery officials are already making changes to the bonus program. Bonus payouts have been reduced by half, and officials are making sure they’re tied to sales goals.

Since 1983, the Colorado Lottery has distributed $2.6 billion to state parks and wildlife, capital construction projects, and Great Outdoors Colorado.