Everyone likes to come away as a winner, right? If we can't win, we at least want to dream about winning. Aside from winning, that's my favorite part of gambling. It doesn't matter if I'm hoping to hit it big playing the slots at the casino, plunking down $10 bucks to win the Powerball, or buying a sweepstakes ticket. Dreaming about what I'd do with my winnings is one of my favorite things to do until I lose. One of the other fun things about gambling is trying to figure out if there's an edge, and when it comes to scratchers from the Missouri Lottery, perhaps there is a way to get a little bit of an edge.

I asked ChatGPT the following question: What's the best way to determine from the Missouri Lottery website what scratcher games have the best chance for someone to win the bigger unclaimed prizes?

ChatGPT told me to look for the current unclaimed prizes and games with unclaimed top-tier prizes, as these represent better opportunities to win large amounts. Chat GPT also suggested I consider the odds for each game and prioritize games with more unclaimed top prizes. ChatGPT also suggested I consider the scratcher's cost and look for "fresher" games because older games probably have more big prizes claimed. After that, compare the remaining prizes and odds for each game and target scratchers with the best potential to win big.

So I did the legwork, and I came up with eight Missouri Lottery Scratcher games that I think have a relatively good chance of paying off anywhere from $1,000 bucks to 3 million dollars.

One thing to note: unclaimed does not mean NOT sold. This means the winning ticket has yet to be claimed by a winner and turned into the Missouri Lottery. Additionally, the Missouri Lottery says in general odds of winning something are about 1 in 4, however, every fourth ticket won't be a winner because winning tickets are randomly printed.

Big Money

You can earn up to $100,000 with Big Money, with a 1 in 4.84 chance of winning at least the lowest prize. Here are the prizes over $1,000 that are still unclaimed:

94 of 156 $1,000 winning tickets are unclaimed. 15 of 26 $5,000 winning tickets are unclaimed. 5 of 9 $20,000 winning tickets are unclaimed. 4 of 5 $100,000 winning tickets are unclaimed.

Fun 5s

With this game, you can earn up to $100,000 with a 1 in 4.04 chance of winning at least the lowest prize. Here are the prizes over $1,000 that are still unclaimed:

12 of 17 $2,500 winning tickets are unclaimed. 3 of 3 $25,000 winning tickets are unclaimed. 4 of 5 $100,000 winning tickets are unclaimed.

King of Spades

King of Spades can win you up to $100,000 with a 1 in 3.99 chance of winning at least the lowest prize. Here are the prizes over $1,000 that are still unclaimed:

624 of 720 $1,000 winning tickets are unclaimed. 26 of 29 $5,000 winning tickets are unclaimed. 6 of 6 $20,000 winning tickets are unclaimed. 5 of 6 $100,000 winning tickets are unclaimed.

Double Sided Dollars

Double Sided Dollars can win you up to $100,000 with a 1 in 3.99 chance of winning at least the lowest prize. Here are the prizes over $1,000 that are still unclaimed:

411 of 720 $1,000 winning tickets are unclaimed, 16 of 29 $5,000 winning tickets are unclaimed, 4 of 6 $20,000 winning tickets are unclaimed, and 4 of 6 $100,000 winning tickets are unclaimed.

20X Cro$$word

20X Crossword can win you up to $100,000 with a 1 in 3.97 chance of winning at least the lowest prize. Here are the prizes over $1,000 still unclaimed:

77 of 129 $1,000 winning tickets are unclaimed. 10 of 14 $5,000 winning tickets are unclaimed. 4 of 7 $10,000 winning tickets are unclaimed. 4 of 6 $15,000 winning tickets are unclaimed. 3 of 4 $20,000 winning tickets are unclaimed. 3 of 3 $30,000 winning tickets are unclaimed. 5 of 7 $100,000 winning tickets are unclaimed.

$1,000,000 Winnings

The bigger the prize, the more expensive the ticket. This scratcher costs $10, but you could win $1,000,000. The chance of winning the lowest prize is 1 in 3.32. Here are the prizes over $1,000 still unclaimed:

642 of 745 $1,000 winning tickets are unclaimed. 43 of 50 $5,000 winning tickets are unclaimed. 5 of 5 $50,000 winning tickets are unclaimed. 2 of 2 $1,000,000 winning tickets are unclaimed.

$5,000,000 Fortune

Priced at $50, this scratcher could pay off big time. The chance of winning a prize is 1 in 3.30, and prizes start at $75. So if you get a winner, you're at least up $25. That said, this is a pretty big investment for "fun." Of course, the payoff if you win aligns with the investment. Here are the prizes over $1,000 that are still unclaimed:

2,263 of 2,566 $1,000 winning tickets are unclaimed. 607 of 700 $5,000 winning tickets are unclaimed. 218 of 250 $10,000 winning tickets are unclaimed. 35 of 40 $50,000 winning tickets are unclaimed. 3 of 3 $1,000,000 winning tickets are unclaimed. 2 of 3 $5,000,000 are unclaimed.

300X

Priced at $30, this is another more risky scratcher with a potentially big payoff of $3,000,000. The chance of winning at least the lowest prize is 1 in 2.64. The minimum prize is $30, so you'll at least break even if you win something. Here are the prizes over $1,000 that are still unclaimed:

71 of 94 $1,000 winning tickets are unclaimed, 38 of 57 $3,000 winning tickets are unclaimed, 44 of 56 $6,000 tickets are unclaimed, 5 of 9 $30,000 winning tickets are unclaimed, 3 of 3 $100,000 tickets are unclaimed, and 2 of 3 $3,000,00 winning tickets are unclaimed.

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There you have it; that's what I came up with. I'm not a professional gambler and barely an amateur, but it was a fun exercise, and I may mosey over to my favorite convenience store and buy a few tickets if I get the chance. Good luck, and remember, this is all supposed to be fun, and the house has the edge, so don't gamble the mortgage or your car payment. If you need help, resources are available at 1-888-Bets Off or this website.