I asked the ChatGPT free version to help me win the lottery, and here's what it surprised me with

I've sold 700 ebooks about how to use ChatGPT for profit   Photo: Ken Silver

I am an AI expert. In fact, I have written books on how to use ChatGPT to make money with ebooks and sold over $10,000 of them within a couple of months.

But for all my expertise and experience, I haven't tried it yet to conquer the lottery. I think it’s unlikely to do any better than my own System (now withdrawn from sale).

So what's the purpose of this experiment? It is really to see what sort of result that ChatGPT comes up with, what it recommends, and whether will it make us a winner.

Now, there’s plenty of lottery ChatGPT advice out there, as you would expect nearly a year after this groundbreaking AI software advancement.

It is also tempting to use it to write this article. But in the same way I didn’t write my ebooks with any AI help, I won't do that here either.

I'm going to find out how far we can go with what we know.

There are several steps. The first is to ask ChatGPT to select the best lottery game with the highest chance of success for winning an easy sum: $1,000 or more.

There are a lot of games to pick. Which one will our AI select?   Photo: Supplied

Will it know the best lottery to play? So I asked this question:

Me: What is the best lottery game to play in the USA with the highest probability of winning a prize over $1,000?

As I expected, it came back with a generalised list, along with a cautionary disclaimer:

“However, it's crucial to remember that winning a prize over $1,000 is still relatively unlikely in any lottery game. If you're looking for a reliable way to grow your money, consider investment or savings options outside of the lottery, as the odds of winning are designed to be in favor of the state and not the player.”

OK. So I asked it: Choose just one game from your list.

ChatGPT: “If I were to choose just one game from the list provided, I would recommend Scratch-Off Games.”

“Scratch-off games often have better odds of winning smaller to moderately sized prizes, including those over $1,000, compared to some other lottery games.”

Well, that’s interesting. Where do we go from here if we want to play a specific game? What would be the best scratch off lottery tickets to buy?

Remember that the free version of ChatGPT that I’m using for the test ended its research in 2021. So it won’t be able to recommend any of the current scratch-off games in the market.

But I thought I would ask for a better idea of how to win using any principles it could offer.

Me: Give me 5 steps to find and play the best winning scratch-off games.

ChatGPT: Certainly, here are five steps to help you find and play scratch-off games with better chances of winning:

Research Your State Lottery Website:

  • Start by visiting the official website of your state's lottery. There, you'll find information on all the scratch-off games available, including their ticket prices, odds of winning, and remaining prizes.

  • Look for games that offer a high overall return to player (RTP) percentage. Some state lotteries provide this information for each game, which gives you an idea of the average return to players over time.

Review the Prize Structure:

  • Study the prize structure for each game to understand how the prizes are distributed. Pay close attention to the odds of winning specific prize levels, such as those over $1,000.

  • Some games may have a few large top prizes, while others have more smaller prizes. Choose the type of game that aligns with your preferences and desired prize range.

Check for Unclaimed Prizes:

  • Most state lotteries provide information about unclaimed prizes for their scratch-off games. Review this data to identify games with a higher number of unclaimed prizes.

  • A game with many unclaimed prizes could have better odds for you.

Read Player Reviews and Reports:

  • Look for reviews and reports from reputable sources and fellow players who have shared their experiences with specific scratch-off games. They can provide valuable insights into which games are more enjoyable and potentially have better odds.

Set a Budget and Play Responsibly:

  • Before purchasing scratch-off tickets, establish a clear budget for your lottery spending. Stick to your budget to ensure you don't overspend on these games.

  • Keep in mind that while finding games with better odds can increase your chances, winning any significant prize is still a matter of chance, and there are no guarantees.

Here's what the answer looked like as presented by ChatGPT   Image: Ken Silver

That didn’t really tell me much. The path ChatGPT outlined here seems very generalized and predictable.

I decided that more research was needed, so I’ll continue this in Part 2 in a week or so.

As well I’ll also combine that progress with some fascinating research into the ways that $20.4 million scratch-off winner Joan Ginther used to acquire her massive multi-million dollar fortune.