The world might have been shut down the last year, but the Colorado Lottery was clearly open for business: reaching its voter-prescribed cap almost a month earlier than last year and steering $71.7 million into outdoors projects.

Lottery money that goes to Great Outdoors Colorado pays for parks and other recreation, conservation and open space improvements across the state.

The spillover in the proceeds until the end of the fiscal year on June 30 will go to Building Excellent Schools Today. Last year schools received almost $1 million.

The windfall comes from more than $1.7 billion dollars from dueling jackpot sales in January, unprecedented scratch-off card purchases and “a growing love for Colorado Lotto+,” the lottery said in an announcement Tuesday morning.

The lottery was created by Colorado voters in 1992 to benefit the outdoors and school construction and renovations.

“Colorado is bursting at the seams and so are its state and community parks, open space and schools,” Tom Seaver, director of the Colorado Lottery, said in a statement Tuesday. “The changes we made to our scratch products, increasing the number of games, price points and prize structures, have played a major role in helping us meet the cap to support GOCO’s commitment to help build new parks and recreation, trails and fund open space conservation projects, as well as school infrastructure.”

The lottery’s announcement said 22 to 24 cents of every dollar spent on its games are reinvested via GOCO and BEST.

GOCO executive director Chris Castilian congratulated and thanked lottery officials.

“And to the players of the lottery, thank you,” he stated. “You play an essential role in protecting our lands and creating more parks and playgrounds, trails and open spaces, and outdoor opportunities for all Coloradans.”

To learn about lottery funded projects, click here.