Frequently Asked Questions
Subtopics
Q: Will Lotto Sorcerer guarantee to give me a winning lottery number?
A: No, no one can legitimately guarantee that. If they do, they are either relying on the fact that 99% of people will not bother to cash in on the guarantee, or make the claim terms so confusing that no one can understand the terms, or have enough loopholes in the terms that no one can cash in a claim. The function of Lotto Sorcerer is to try to find non-random and weighted patterns to the lottery drawings, and try to maximize the odds in your favor. In other words, to try to give you a slight "edge".
Q: You can't possibly predict the outcome of random events!
A: Yes, it is true, you cannot predict the outcome of truly random events. Lotto Sorcerer works on the premise that, because of their mechanical nature, lottery drawings are not truly random. They are close to random, but not truly random. Lotto Sorcerer trys to find non-random and weighted influences, and advises accordingly.
Q: I bought Lotto Sorcerer, but I didn't win the lottery!
You may be greatly overestimating the power of any software program, even Lotto Sorcerer, to win the lottery. Many people have reported success with using Lotto Sorcerer, but, in the end, a lottery is still a lottery. Lotto Sorcerer is designed to, at best, try to give you an ever-so-slight edge at winning.
Q: What types of lotteries can Lotto Sorcerer track?
A: The current version of Lotto Sorcerer can track most standard lottos, lottos with one or two bonus balls, one to four extra (supplemental) numbers, keno type lotteries and "Pick" type lotteries from 1 to 8 numbers. It can even handle the popular "All-or-Nothing" lotteries.
Q: How many lotteries can I setup in Lotto Sorcerer?
A: You can setup up to 64 built-in lotteries in Lotto Sorcerer. There is no limit to the number of custom lotteries.
Q: What is the difference between at "built-in" lottery and a "custom" lottery?
A: A "built-in" is already setup within Lotto Sorcerer. All you have to do is select it in the Lottery Setup Wizard. A built-in lottery will also have prior drawings included with Lotto Sorcerer, and almost all of the built-in lotteries can be updated with our optional Lottery Data Service. A custom lottery can also be setup with the Lottery Setup Wizard, but you must enter the parameters of the lottery (how many balls are drawn, the pool size, days drawn, etc.) A custom lottery cannot be updated with the Lottery Data Service; you must update it by either typing in the past drawings or import past lottery data. As for generating suggestions, Lotto Sorcerer treats both custom and built-in lotteries as the same.
Q: The lottery I play has drawings twice a day. Should I track these together, or treat them as separate lotteries?
A: It is up to you. If you want to track them together, you need to use the Virtual Lottery Setup Wizard to join the separate lotteries together. Use Lotto Sorcerer's menu item "Lottery Structure > Virtual Lotteries > Virtual Lottery Setup Wizard".
Q: My state has a keno program that runs once every five minutes. Can I use Lotto Sorcerer for this type of lottery?
A: You can try, but you would have to setup each drawing time separately and join them together using the Virtual Lottery Setup Wizard. Besides, it would be practically impossible for you to keep up with entering the prior drawings every five minutes, what to speak of generating suggestions, filling out a playslip and purchasing the ticket in time for the next drawing.
Q: Is there any way to import a list of past numbers instead of typing it in?
A: Yes, Lotto Sorcerer can import from a wide range of delimited text files and fixed-width text files. Many lotteries offer free downloads of past lottery drawings which you can import into Lotto Sorcerer (although some may require a little "massaging" of the data to make it importable into our program). Also, US Datamines offers lottery datasets that are "Lotto Sorcerer ready". You can also update many (600+) lotteries automatically using our optional Lottery Subscription Service (use menu item "Lottery Data > Lottery Data Subscription > Subscription Setup Wizard").
Lotto Sorcerer offers a wealth of utilities and tools to help you import lottery drawing data from other sources. You will find these under menu item "Lottery Data > Import Lottery Data".
Q: My lottery changed its parameters: it used to have a pool of 48 numbers, and now it has changed to 49. What should I do?
A: First, you need to edit the lottery's settings by using Lotto Sorcerer's menu item "Lottery Structure > Edit Lottery Settings" to reflect the new parameters. Next, because the lottery has changed, you may want to delete the older drawings (that were drawn using the older parameters) by using the Prune Database function (menu item "Lottery Data > Prune Lottery") or by changing the date in the Scope control. This will ensure the statistical integrity of your database.
This is a critical section. Most "errors" reported by users of Lotto Sorcerer are because the users set their lottery up as the wrong type of lottery.
Q: What is the difference between a "bonus ball" lottery and an "extra ball" lottery?
A: Lotto Sorcerer, in its usage and documentation, uses strict definitions of these lottery terms in order to ensure consistency and avoid confusion. A "bonus ball lottery" is a lottery in which a separate number is drawn from a separate pool of numbers, apart from the main numbers. Examples of true bonus-ball lotteries are America's Powerball and Mega Millions, or Europe's Euromillions. An "extra ball lottery" is a lottery in which a number is drawn from the same pool of numbers as the main numbers. Unfortunately, many lotteries around the world use the term "bonus ball" for what we would call the "extra number".
A good rule of thumb to use in order to differentiate between a "bonus ball" lottery and an "extra ball" lottery is to ask, "Can the bonus/extra ball ever be the same number as the numbers drawn in the non-bonus/extra ball section?" If the answer is "yes", then it is a true "bonus ball" lottery; otherwise, it is an "extra ball" lottery.
Q: What is a "pick-type" lottery?
A: We define a "pick-type" lottery as a lottery which draws each number from a separate pool, so a number can be repeated. For example, if a lottery could have a drawing of "1-0-0-8", then that is certainly a "pick-type" lottery, since the number "0" is repeated. These lotteries usually pick numbers from 0 to 9.
The "Joker" lotteries popular in Europe are usually "pick-type" lotteries, as well as lotteries called "Pick 3" and "Daily 4". Unfortunately, a few lotteries around the world have lotteries called, for example, "Pick 5", when it is actually a lotto, where numbers do not repeat, which creates confusion... so you cannot go by the name alone to determine if it is a true "pick type" lottery.
Q: So, what exactly is a "lotto", by your definition?
A: We define a "lotto" lottery as a type of lottery in which there are no repeating numbers (except for a "bonus type lottery", which will have a bonus ball drawn from a separate pool, so the bonus ball may repeat a number from the main pool of numbers).
Q: And what is a "keno" type lottery?
A: We define a "keno" type lottery in which more numbers are drawn than are guessed by the player. For a typical keno, 20 to 22 numbers are drawn, but the player only guesses 10 numbers.
Q: What is the minimum amount of past drawings Lotto Sorcerer needs?
A: This figure varies by the lottery's parameters (lottery type, numbers drawn, numbers played) and by the starting neural depth setting. Lotto Sorcerer will advise you if you do not have enough drawings entered. If this happens, you can either enter more drawings, decrease the neural depth, or "pad" the lottery with statistically neutral random drawings (by using menu item "Utilities > Random Utilities > Data Padder"
Q: How many previous drawings should I put into the database?
A: You should put as many as possible. The more drawings in the database, the more likelihood that Lotto Sorcerer can find a pattern.
Q: What are the best choices to make in the Projection Parameter and Filters section of Lotto Sorcerer?
A: All lotteries are different in the manner in which the winning numbers are selected. Not only do they have different drawing machines and mechanisms, but they also swap out the machines at different intervals (in an attempt to make the drawings closer to true random). Lotto Sorcerer come with an array of choices with which you can fine tune the program to work with your lottery. We recommend that you experiment to see what works best for you. Here are some specific suggestions:
- First, while experimenting, turn off all filters. The filters work to throw out unwanted suggestions. Use the filters later, once you have determined the best strategy to use in the Project Parameters section.
- Next, try the different settings, and generate at least 100 suggestions for each different setting combination. Use discrete suggestions, not wheels. Of course, you do not actually have to play (bet) these numbers... that would be expensive; just print out or save the suggestions. Make a note as to which strategy you chose for that particular set of suggestions.
- When the drawing occurs, check to see which set of suggestions did the best. This is the strategy to use.
We recognize that "experimenting with the settings" can be very time-consuming, since there are literally hundreds of different ways to set up the Projection Parameters settings alone. At the very least you should try every combination of the Mode and Method section, which is only 30 different combinations of settings.
Once the strategy is chosen, experiment with the filter settings to see which ones work best at throwing out the non-winning suggestions. Please note that all of the filters are optional. You do not need to use any of the filters to generate suggestions. The filters are there to fine-tune the numbers suggestion process. It may be a good idea to not overdo the filters... some users check every possible filter, which may be counterproductive. One tip for setting the filters, and especially the Limitation Filters, is to use the graphs and charts in Lotto Seer (menu item "Tools > Lotto Seer") to see how often prior draws stayed close to the mathematical average, and how often they drifted over the standard deviation lines.
Finally, do not forget that Lotto Sorcerer comes with four powerful tools to help you, all found in the "Tools" menu:
- Lottery Number Oracle™ which can analyze and predict numbers using Gaussian distribution.
- Lotto Augur™ which shows trends for numbers, pairs and triplets.
- Lotto Seer™ which can show lottery statistics, both in tabular and graphic form.
- Pick Lottery Frequency Distribution can show you which specific combinations are overdue. For true pick 3, pick 4 and pick 5 lotteries only.
Here is how Jim Schwartz, the original creator of Lotto Sorcerer, chooses which settings to use:
"I play only the Cash 5 lottery game from Indiana, because of this lottery's extraordinary payout-to-bet ratio. In this lottery, the player picks 5 number from 1 to 45. The jackpot grows if there are no winners.
"First, I turn all filters off. I generate 100 suggestions for every combination of Mode and Method in the Analysis Engine settings. I leave the Sectors at '5', except, of course, when using the Parity mode, which is always '2'. When the suggestions are generated, I save the suggestions, giving it a filename where I can tell what settings were used for those suggestions.
"Next, I wait for the next drawing occurs, then use the Check Numbers function, and see how many suggestions for each Mode/Method combination generated the most wins. I check for suggestions that have three or more matching numbers. I give far more 'weight' to suggestions that match 4 numbers than to suggestions that match 3 numbers.
"For Indiana's Cash 5 lottery, I have found that the Pool Temperature mode coupled with the Trend Evaluation method works best. When actually playing, I turn on all available Rejection filters except 'Adjacent 2+' and 'User Defined'. I check all of the Limitation filters, using a standard deviation of ±1. I then generate 9 suggestions. When the suggestions are generated, I use the Lottery Number Oracle function, and run the 'Full Report'. Of the nine suggestions, I choose the suggestion that has the most number of matches in the '97% chance' column up to the next drawing date. If there is any ambiguity, I use the analysis tab from Lotto Sorcerer's Apprentice as a 'tie breaker'."
Q: Why is there a choice of Scope, when I should always be using the maximum number of past drawings?
A: There are a few reasons why you may to adjust the scope.
- If your lottery changed parameters at some point, you should use that date (when the parameters changed). For example, if your lottery changed from 1 to 56 number to 1 to 53 numbers on August 2, 1999, then you should use that date as the scope.
- If you are aware that the lottery organization moved to different machines, you may want to use the date of the change-over.
- Your experimentation may show that choosing a certain scope, you are experiencing better accuracy.
The Ending Scope setting can be valuable during experimentation. Instead of waiting for the next drawing to occur (to check your results), you can set the Ending Scope to the next to the last drawing, and compare the experimental suggestions to the actual final drawing in the database.
It is important to note that by shortening the scope, the maximum neural depth can be affected.
Q: I don't understand the purpose of the Sectors and why this selection is important.
A: If possible, the sectors should be set at a value that is a multiple of the numbers drawn. This is especially critical for games that draw from a small pool, like Pick-type lotteries. So for Pick-type lotteries, which draw from a pool of ten numbers (0 to 9), the Sectors should be either 2 or 5. Why? Because for a pool of 10 numbers, only 2 and 5 are multiples. If you choose another Sector (like 3 or 4), then one of the pools will be larger than the others, skewing the suggestions to those pools.
The larger the number pool, the less effect the sectors setting has when generating suggestions.
Q: My lottery has a bonus number, and it uses different size pools (1 to 56 for the non-bonus part, and 1 to 46 for the bonus part). So what sector size should I use? For the bonus or non-bonus part?
A: You should select the Sector value for the non-bonus part.
Q: My lottery chooses from 1 to 59. None of the sectors are multiples of this. What should I choose?
A: In the absence of a multiple, choose the largest sector (7).
Q: My lottery chooses from 1 to 35. What sampling size should I choose?
A: There is no formula or rule from which to choose the sampling size setting. Only experimentation with the different sampling size settings will help to find out which sampling size is best for a particular lottery.
Q: There are two Forecast settings, large segment and short segment. What is the difference, and which should I choose?
A: These are two separate methods that the Forecast function "looks" at the past drawing data. It is up to you to choose which one to use, based on your experimentation.
Q: Both Forecast settings give me the same result. Is this normal?
A: For lotteries that are close to true randomness, it is normal and expected that the two Forecasts will give the same results.
Q: What is the purpose of the "Neural/Analysis Depth" slider on the Suggestion tab?
A: This allows you to set the starting neural/analysis depth, that is, the longer patterns that can be detected. Generally speaking, the higher the starting depth, the better Lotto Sorcerer will be at detecting long-term patterns.
Q: So if the higher the neural/analysis depth is always better, then why is there a way to change it? Shouldn't it always be on the highest setting?
A: Yes, but we give the user the ability to change this for three reasons: 1) The higher the depth, the longer Lotto Sorcerer takes to run its analysis. On older computers, high settings may take an unacceptably long time to run. 2) The higher the neural depth, more past lottery drawings are required. If a lottery is new (that is, it doesn't have enough past drawings available), it may not be possible to run it at the higher neural depths. 3) Your experimentation on your lottery may show better results with a lower neural depth setting.
Q: Why do some of the filters become unavailable, based on the Neural/Analysis Engine I chose?
If you chose the Pool Temperature engine, then the "Skewed Hot", "Skewed Medium" and "Skewed Cold" filters become unavailable, because that engine might just recommend all cold numbers or all hot number or all medium numbers. Similarly, if you chose the Parity engine, then the "Skewed Odd" and "Skewed Even" filters become unavailable, because that engine might recommend that you play all odd numbers.
Q: When I choose a Pick-type lottery, the filters are unavailable.
A: This is normal; filters are not available for Pick-type lotteries.
Q: Lotto Sorcerer freezes towards the end when it is generating suggestions.
A: If clicking the "Stop" button in the Projections Results tabs stops the generating process, then the program is not actually frozen; it is still working. A large dataset, run with Deep Analysis, can take several hours, or even days, to complete, depending on the size of the dataset and the speed of your computer. And Pick type lotteries (Pick 3, Pick 4 and so on) take even longer.
Here are some tips to decrease processing time:
- In the Preferences > Analysis panel, move the "Thread Priority" to "High".
- In the Preferences > Analysis panel, move the "Interface Updating" to "Slow".
- In the Preferences > Analysis panel, turn off "Verbose Logging".
- Pool Temperature neural engine is far, far more processor intensive than the other engines; so consider using another engine or decreasing the sampling size*.
- Decrease the load by changing the Scope setting (i.e., decreasing the number of past drawings to analyze)*.
- Last resort: turn off Deep Analysis*.
*These changes may have an adverse effect on Lotto Sorcerer's accuracy.
Q: How long are the suggestions from Lotto Sorcerer good for?
Until the next drawing. After that, the statistics change. Lotto Sorcerer should only be run with the latest drawing in its database. So it is imperative you keep its database (of prior drawings) up-to-date.
Q: If I repeatedly press the Start button in the Suggest Numbers window, completely different number suggestions are generated. If Lotto Sorcerer is recommending the best numbers, shouldn't the same set of numbers be generated each time?
A: Lotto Sorcerer does not exactly recommend the best numbers, it recommends the best pool ratio to play, based on the best strategy that worked in the past. For example, if Lotto Sorcerer detects a pattern that the next drawings will have three hot numbers, one medium number and one cold number, it will select three numbers from the hot pool, one number from the medium pool and one number from the cold pool. It is unlikely that the same number recommendations would appear twice in a row.
Consider the consequences of what would happen if Lotto Sorcerer recommended specific numbers instead of pools: everyone using Lotto Sorcerer would be generating the same, exact set of suggestions! So if you were to finally win the jackpot you have been dreaming of, you would not be happy to learn that you will have to share that huge jackpot with the thousands of other Lotto Sorcerer users who played that same game; you would not be happy to find that the millions that you thought you won is now only worth thousands (due to the jackpot being divided up amongst all of the winners who also used Lotto Sorcerer).
Although the numbers generated will be different with each click of the Start button, the recommended pool ratio will always be the same. The recommended pool ratio is displayed on the Analysis tab.
Q: When I use wheels, I always get a message that "Not all of your requested suggestions were generated. This is because the filters you chose removed some of the suggestion."
This is normal. If you chose a wheel that has, for example, 120 members, Lotto Sorcerer generates 120 suggestions. Then those suggestions are passed through the filters.
Q: I used Lotto Sorcerer, and I didn't win anything!
First, there are, literally, thousands of different combinations of settings available within Lotto Sorcerer for generating suggestions. Did you try them all? Second, did you avail yourself of our strategy suggestions? Third, you may have unrealistic expectations that any software program, even Lotto Sorcerer, has the capability to generate a win for you. The purpose of Lotto Sorcerer is to give you a slight edge over the official odds by showing possible non-random influences.
Q: I don't have a credit card. How can I order Lotto Sorcerer?
A: Bitcoin, Amazon Payments, wire transfers, certain gift cards and pre-paid cash cards can be used as payment as well.
Q: I got a new computer. How do I get my registered version up and running?
A: You need to download and install the appropriate Evaluation Version: if you are a registered user of Lotto Sorcerer version 9, download the Evaluation Version from here; if you are a registered user of an older version, go to the archives, find the Evaluation Version for your specific version, and download and install it. When you run it, it will generate a new serial number. You will need this serial number in order to generate a replacement registration code for yourself (because the registration code is based on the serial number). You can then generate a replacement registration code by clicking here.
You will also need your serial number for your prior installation in order to authenticate your request. You can find your old serial number here.
Q: I lost my registration codes! What do I do?
A: You can lookup your registration codes here.
Q: Where is my software I ordered? I got an email from you, with my registration code, but I never received any CD!
A: As mentioned in the email, manual, and on this website, we do not ship software... this is why you were not charged for shipping, and this is what keeps our costs (and your prices) down. Just enter your name and registration codes in the registration screen of the program, and your evaluation version is transformed into the full registered version. This practice is very common in the shareware industry.
Q: Where is my registration codes? I never received them!
A: You, or your Internet Service Provider, or your email service probably have a spam filter, blocking our email. We think the word "Lotto" in our email that we sent to you may be falsely flagging our email as "spam", or junk email. Google Mail ("gmail"), Yahoo, AOL, and Hotmail are notorious for this. To prevent this, add "sales@satoripublishing.com" to your white list (list of approved senders).
If you do not receive your registration codes within 24 hours of purchase, please email us (at support@satoripublishing.com). Please provide an alternate method of contact (other than your email address), such as phone or fax. We will attempt to email your codes again, plus we will print out the codes and mail it to you via U.S. Mail. If you provide a telephone number, we will call you to rectify the situation. In the meantime, please check your Junk Mail folder, in the event that your spam filter thought that our email was spam.
Q: I subscribed to the Lottery Data Service. Where are my registration codes?
A: As mentioned in the sign-up page of the Lottery Data Service, the subscription service is an optional and separate part of Lotto Sorcerer. Registration is separate.
Q: My registration codes don't work!
A: Please use our Registration Troubleshooter. Note that almost all "registration codes not working" "errors" are due to improperly entering the user's name exactly as instructed; or, the serial number of Lotto Sorcerer has changed. The registration code of Lotto Sorcerer is based on the serial number and the user's name.
Q: What are the Evaluation Version limitations?
A: Here are the four limitations to the Evaluation Version:
- The Evaluation Version is limited to 12 uses.
- The Evaluation Versions has a limit to a Neural/Analysis Depth of eight.
- All export utilities are limited to 50 records in the Evaluation Version.
- The Evaluation Version prints "DEMO" on the playslip printouts.
The Registered Version does not have these limitations.
Q: Please, please help! My mother is sick, my father is crippled, and my brother needs an operation. I really, really need to win the lottery, but I cannot afford Lotto Sorcerer. Can you just give me the registration code for free? Or maybe at a really big discount? Or, at the very least, just tell me what numbers I should be playing?
A: No. A valid school of thought is: if your financial situation is so bleak that you cannot afford Lotto Sorcerer, then you probably should not be playing the lottery. Also, you may be greatly overestimating the ability of any software program, even Lotto Sorcerer, to provide winning numbers to the next lottery drawing. The purpose of Lotto Sorcerer is to give you a slight edge over the official odds by showing possible non-random influences.
Please click here for help.
Q: I want to upgrade, but I'm afraid that I will lose all of the lottery data that I have entered.
A: Starting with version 5, the lottery data is stored in a separate area. This data is in your Documents folder. Even uninstalling Lotto Sorcerer will not delete this data.
Q: I purchased Lotto Sorcerer in the past. Am I eligible for upgrade pricing?
A: Yes. Go to upgradels.html. You will need your serial number from your previous installation. At this time, special upgrade sales pricing is in effect.
Q: What is your upgrade policy?
A: Upgrades from minor to minor versions are always free to registered users of the major version. For example, upgrading from v9.0 to v9.3 will always be free to registered users of version 9, because these are minor upgrades. Upgrading from major versions are not free: for example, upgrading from version 8 to 9 is not free, but you may be eligible for a price break. At this time, special upgrade sales pricing is in effect. Please click here for this special pricing.
Q: I have Lotto Sorcerer v6.9. Your website says that the final version of Lotto Sorcerer version 6 is 6.34. Isn't this a mistake? Isn't 6.9 newer than 6.34?
A: Releases are not based on the decimal system, but the major.minor.issue numerical system. "Version 6.34" means that it is the 34th release of fixes and improvements to version 6. "Version 6.9" is the ninth release of version 6. So v6.34 is far higher and newer than v6.9. This is a common misunderstanding, and for this reason, starting with version 7, the maximum minor version will never be more than "9".
Q: I have Lotto Sorcerer v9.0.5. Your website says that the latest version of Lotto Sorcerer version 9 is 9.3. Isn't this a mistake? Isn't 9.0.5 newer than 9.3?
A: No, "9.0.5" is the fifth issue release of version "9.0". Version "9.2" is newer than version "9.0" (and its subsequent issue releases, such as "9.0.1", "9.0.2", and so forth).
Q: What version of Microsoft Excel do I need?
A: If you want to be able to import the .xls spreadsheets created by Lotto Sorcerer into Microsoft Excel, then Excel 2003 and later is required.
Q: I should not have to buy Microsoft Excel in order to use Lotto Sorcerer!
A: First, you do not "need" Microsoft Excel to use Lotto Sorcerer version 9. The ability to export directly into Microsoft Excel is a convenience, requested my many users. Second, there are other programs, even free programs, that can read the Excel files that Lotto Sorcerer generates. One populare program is the OpenOffice suite. Third, anywhere in Lotto Sorcerer where you can export to Microsoft Excel, you will find a similar function that will allow you to save the same data as a text-delimited file.
Q: All of my wheels have disappeared when I upgraded!
A: They didn't disappear, they are hidden by default. Just uncheck the "Hide Wheels" checkbox in the Interface tab of the Preferences window. They are hidden because Lotto Sorcerer has so many built-in wheels that slower computers have trouble displaying the list of wheels available.
Q: What is the difference between "Discrete" and "Wheeled" suggestions?
A: Discrete suggestions pull from the full potential pool of numbers. Wheels pull from a truncated pool.
Q: What exactly is a wheel?
A: Use of wheels, also known as "coverings", utilizes a method of arranging lottery ticket numbers in a way that will improve chances to win multiple-tier lottery prizes. Wheeling is based on mathematical formulae from the branch of mathematics known as "combinatorics".
When using a wheel, the numbers suggested are pulled from a truncated pool. For example, suppose you are playing a lottery which draws six numbers from a pool of 48, and you decide to use a wheel described as: "7 wheeled suggestions (4 numbers match if 5/10 numbers drawn)". This means that instead of generating suggestions from a pool of 48 numbers, Lotto Sorcerer will generate seven suggestions from a pool of 10 numbers; if five of the six numbers drawn by the lottery are from this pool of 10 numbers, at least one of seven suggestions will match four numbers.
Q: Do I need to purchase a Lottery Data Service to use Lotto Sorcerer?
A: No, it is entirely optional. But, if your lottery is supported through this service, you may find it a fantastic convenience.
Q: I purchased the registration code to Lotto Sorcerer, but Lotto Sorcerer says that I am not a subscriber to the Lottery Data Service.
A: The Lottery Data Service is not included with the purchase of the registration codes.
Q: How do I subscribe to the Lottery Data Service?
A: Use Lotto Sorcerer's menu item "Lottery Data > Lottery Data Subscription > Start Subscription". It will take you to a webpage where you can subscribe.
Q: What is the difference between the "Lottery Data Service" and the "Lottery Data Subscription Service"?
A: They are the same thing. We are trying to move away from the term "subscription" because people may erroneously think that they are being locked into a recurring subscription that is hard to cancel.
Q: I let my Lottery Data Service lapse. How do I restart it?
A: Just start a new Lottery Data Service by using Lotto Sorcerer's menu item "Lottery Data > Lottery Data Subscription > Start Subscription".
Q: How do I cancel my Lottery Data Service?
A: The Lottery Data Service is non-recurring, so the Lottery Data Service will automatically stop when the term you purchased ends. You do not have to worry about recurring charges, whether expected or unexpected.
Q: How does the Lottery Data Service work?
A: By clicking the "Update" button in the Main Window of Lotto Sorcerer ("Drawing History" tab), Lotto Sorcerer will determine the most recent drawing in your database, then goes online to see if there are any new drawings available. If so, those newer drawings are brought into your database.
Q: Does the Lottery Data Service fill in missing drawings?
A: No, the Lottery Data Service will only add new drawings (if any are available). That is, it will add any drawings that are drawn later than the most recent drawing in your database. It does not compare your database to our database. If there are past drawings that are missing from your database, it will not fill in those missing drawings.
Here is what happens when you click the "Update" button in Lotto Sorcerer's "History" tab:
Lotto Sorcerer finds the most recent drawing in your database (for the lottery that you are working with). It then looks on our database for any drawings that are more recent. If there are any, it downloads them to your database.
Here is what does not happen: Lotto Sorcerer does not synchronize your database with ours. It does not look for missing drawings, or drawings that have been added in the past, or drawings that have been corrected.
Q: I'm having trouble getting the playslip printing to work properly.
A: Playslip printing is very complex. Try using the Playslip Troubleshooter.
Q: What is the best type of printer to use for printing playslips?
A: First, we do not recommend using laser printers to print playslips. The laser printer may be able to print on the playslip just fine, but the cheap inks used in making the playslips may melt in the laser printer, and ruin the laser printer's drum. We recommend an inkjet printer that has the following features:
- The printer should be able to print to the edge of the playslip.
- The printer should be able to handle the non-standard sizes of most playslips†.
†We have found that top-loading printers seem to handle playslips much better than bottom-loading printers.
Q: What model printer do you recommend?
A: We use an old Epson R1800 here in our laboratory, and it has worked well for us.
Q: If I send you some playslips, can you design the playslip definitions for me?
A: No, sorry, we no longer do that. When we provided that service, we did not use an special software... we used the same tools available to you: the Playslip Setup Wizard built into Lotto Sorcerer.
Q: When running scripts as a batch, can variables be passed from one script to another?
A: No, not directly. But an easy workaround is to write the variables (that you want to pass) to a text file (using the WriteFile function) in the first script, then use the ReadFile function (in the second script) to read in the variables.
Q: Can you write a script for me?
A: No.
Q: When is the next version of Lotto Sorcerer going to be released?
A: Lotto Sorcerer version 9.3 is the final release of Lotto Sorcerer. There will be no more releases, improvements, upgrades or updates.
Q: Will you be supporting macOS 10.12 or higher?
A: No. Lotto Sorcerer version 9 works on Mac OS X 10.4 (Intel) through 10.11 only. We do offer Lotto Sorcerer's Apprentice, which will work on macOS up to 10.14. We have not tested it to see if it will work on 10.15 or higher.
Q: Do you have plans for releasing a Linux version of Lotto Sorcerer?
A: No. We released a Linux version back in 2005 for Lotto Sorcerer version 4. Despite selling thousands upon thousands of copies of the Mac and Windows versions, we only sold four copies for Linux.
Q: Will you consider releasing Lotto Sorcerer in Spanish/Portuguese/some other language?
A: No, Lotto Sorcerer version 9.3 is the final version of Lotto Sorcerer. There will be no more improvements or upgrades.
Q: Do you sell or offer gift certificates?
A: We offer a link to where you can purchase gift cards during the period from the first day of Advent until the 12th day of Christmas (January 5th). You will find a link on the right side of the home page of Lotto Sorcerer during that time.
You can also purchase Lotto Sorcerer and have the registration be assigned to your gift recipient. This is on the payment page of our sales processor. This can be done at any time.
Q: Why is version 9 of Lotto Sorcerer referred to as the "Ultimate" version?
A: Because the dictionary definition of "ultimate" is "being or happening at the end of a process; final", and because version 9 is the final version. Similarly, version 8 was known as the "penultimate" version (i.e., "second to the last").
Q: Can I use Lotto Sorcerer for other things? For example, trying to predict the stock market?
A: You can use Lotto Sorcerer for whatever purpose for which you find it useful. Interestingly, around 20 years ago, we had a program called "Stock Market Oracle" which used the exact same technology as Lotto Sorcerer for predicting stocks. That program is no longer available.
Q: I have a great idea on how to improve Lotto Sorcerer. How do I submit a suggestion?
A: Lotto Sorcerer version 9.3 is the final version of Lotto Sorcerer. There will be no more improvements or upgrades, so there is no use in submitting a suggestion.
Q: I purchased an old version of Lotto Sorcerer. I need to download it again. Where can I find it?
A: You can find it at our archives webpage at archives.html.
Q: I've read your "Gambling Help" webpage. If you are so opposed to gambling, then isn't it hypocritical for you to sell Lotto Sorcerer?
A: We have absolutely no issues at all with gambling, per se. Responsible gambling can be a form of entertainment, and lottery proceeds help governments fund various needed programs.
But we do have issues with irresponsible gambling. We have gotten, time and time again, emails from people who plead for a special discount, or for our registration code for free, or who beg for us to just send them the "upcoming winning lottery numbers", while, at the same time, relating the horrific financial crisis they are in.
We understand that "winning the lottery" may appear to be the only dim glimmer of hope that these people have to get out of their predicament. Maybe that hope is the only thing keeping from them from falling into the abyss of despair, or, even worse, self-destruction. But it would be irresponsible of us to enable these individuals.
Q: Why do you no longer accept PayPal as a payment processor?
A: In our opinion, PayPal has exhibited absolutely abominable customer "service", abysmal reliability, disreputable actions and questionable practices. That is probably why they have an average rating of only 1.05 stars (out of five) from 1,500+ reviews on the Better Business Bureau website.
If you are a user or vendor relying on PayPal, we strongly urge you to find another payment processor.
Q: In what programming language is Lotto Sorcerer written in?
A: Version 1 was written in Microsoft Basic 7.0 (for the Commodore 128). Version 2 was written in AMOS Professional for the Amiga. Versions 3 through the current version were written in REALBasic (later known as Real Studio and Xojo). The current and final version of Lotto Sorcerer, version 9, is written in Real Studio 2012 r2.1. Please note that, from version 4 to version 9, many third-party plug-ins were integrated into Lotto Sorcerer, over which we have no knowledge as to the development lineage.
Q: Is Satori Publishing related to the British company "Satori Publishing Ltd."?
A: No, there is no relation. Our understanding is that the company was known as "Samurai Publishing" until 2013, after which it was known as "Satori Publishing Limited".
Q: Did Satori Publishing publish "The Celestine Prophecy" in 1992?
A: Yes, but that was not us, it was a different company. The author of The Celestine Prophecy, James Redfield, self-published the book under the "Satori Publishing" imprint. If you want information on the Celestine Prophecy, please click here.
Do you have a question not answered here? Ask us! Click here: support@satoripublishing.com
|
|
