Starting in January 2026, the Colorado Lottery will remove the printed Retailer Validation Codes from its Scratch ticket products. These three-letter codes, previously printed under the scratch-off area, were once used by retailers as a quick visual check to see if a ticket was a winner.
The Lottery said the change is being made because modern scanning and validation systems have replaced the need for printed codes. Ticket validation will continue to be handled through the Lottery’s secure system at retail counters, via Lottery vending machines and ticket checkers, or through the free Colorado Lottery mobile app, with no change to how players play or claim prizes.
