Page 12 | AIBU to think a birthday scratch card win was harmless fun?

Fidbdfb · 2026-06-04T15:30:30+00:00

It was my daughter’s birthday this week, and I got her a scratch card just for a bit of fun. She ended up winning £100 from a £5 card. I mentioned it to a friend, but she felt quite strongly that she’d never let her child do anything like that, as she sees it as gambling. It felt a bit over the top to me, to me it was just a harmless bit of fun for a special occasion.... Is she being over top?

TeddyWllowAndStorm · 04/06/2026 17:49

My aunt used to send me a scratch card in my birthday card each year when I was a child. I often won a few pounds but I won £50 once. It’s just a bit of fun.

Your friend is free to make different choices for her child. Just ignore her.

Aussiesgettingsmashed · 04/06/2026 17:43

Troublein · 04/06/2026 17:05

I don't think it's the end of the world, but I don't understand why you can't allow your child to be a child for the very few years she has left.

She has the rest of her life to do adult things, and so very few years to be a child.
Why are you teaching her that only adult things are fun?

You have positively reinforced the idea that fun comes from gambling as she has had a taste of winning this way.

Would you buy her a vibrator at her age?
I see it as an equally adult thing and I think you should leave adult things to adults.

The law has decided children should not be gambling, you are teaching her to flout the law for no real gain.

It's a little thing, but the breakdown of society starts with the little things.

If you have seen the state of our country, where the price for raping your little girl was recently set at £26 by a judge, you'd know this is not a society where it's safe to be a little girl already.

The first half of your comment has some merit. The second part is a bit bonkers.

RoseField1 · 04/06/2026 17:42

FionnulaTheCooler · 04/06/2026 16:32

How old is your daughter? If she's over the legal age to use scratchcards I don't see the odd one as an issue. People think nothing of playing the regular lottery every week.

There is a legal age to BUY them but not to scratch them!!

Thatsanotherfinemess1 · 04/06/2026 17:41

On dear, I actually buy the tag shaped lottery scratch card ones to put our families children's names on at Christmas instead of gift tags. They love them

LilacDrift · 04/06/2026 17:40

I think this is one of the most ridiculous and po faced threads I've ever read on MN. And I've been here a long time.

Lavendersmell · 04/06/2026 17:35

Never change, mumsnet. Never change 😂

ohyesido · 04/06/2026 17:33

Troublein · 04/06/2026 17:05

I don't think it's the end of the world, but I don't understand why you can't allow your child to be a child for the very few years she has left.

She has the rest of her life to do adult things, and so very few years to be a child.
Why are you teaching her that only adult things are fun?

You have positively reinforced the idea that fun comes from gambling as she has had a taste of winning this way.

Would you buy her a vibrator at her age?
I see it as an equally adult thing and I think you should leave adult things to adults.

The law has decided children should not be gambling, you are teaching her to flout the law for no real gain.

It's a little thing, but the breakdown of society starts with the little things.

If you have seen the state of our country, where the price for raping your little girl was recently set at £26 by a judge, you'd know this is not a society where it's safe to be a little girl already.

That’s quite a sick thing to say

Wolfpa · 04/06/2026 17:33

A bit of an overreaction but she thinks of it as gambling because it is.

Jeschara · 04/06/2026 17:32

I would not bother what your friend thinks. As you said it was a bit of fun and a one off. I have done it myself.
It has not turned my adult kids into gamblers. Honestly not everything in life has to be serious, right, and perfect. Both my adult now children are very responsible citizens.

TreesinthePark · 04/06/2026 17:31

Fidbdfb · 04/06/2026 16:34

She is 13.

Edited

Definitely too young for gambling

summitfever · 04/06/2026 17:30

@ThatsCute yes actually you should contact them and say just that

ThatsCute · 04/06/2026 17:30

What about Premium Bonds? No guarantee to win—you could get £0 or £1,000,000,000. My MIL buys PBs for the grandchildren.

summitfever · 04/06/2026 17:30

I’m fairly liberal but I wouldn’t do this. Gambling is one of the top root causes of suicide and especially winning big (by a kids perception) is a massive risk factor for addiction. Would you give her a line of coke? A joint? Or a shot of vodka for her birthday? Gambling is just as illegal because the harms are just as bad. Intermittent reinforcement is dangerous, she could end up chasing that feeling later in life. Call me dramatic but the data speaks for itself 🤷🏼‍♀️

Shelleyblueeyes · 04/06/2026 17:29

Rubbleonthedouble2 · 04/06/2026 16:44

13 is too young. I think traditionally you'd get scratch cards for an 18th birthday.

You are encouraging a child to gamble. I wouldn't do it, personally.

What if she'd won the jackpot? Would you confiscate £100k to pay off the mortgage or let her keep it?

I suspect you didn't think it through.

OMG I bet you're fun at parties.
😴

BunnyLake · 04/06/2026 17:28

Aleiha · 04/06/2026 17:24

My DF sometimes buys scratch cards for all of his grandchildren. I hate it. It's giving them that buzz of excitement from gambling at too early an age. It's the wrong message for children whose brains are not fully developed.

I think it’s ok if it’s very occasionally. Weekly tickets would be a problem. Once a year on your birthday should be fine. Out of all the kids in holiday arcades only a fraction will grow up with a bad habit and they probably already, unknowingly, possess an addict gene so it could manifest anyway with something else.

Roselilly36 · 04/06/2026 17:28

Lovely your daughter had a win, it’s a one off, I would say it’s fine.

Evilkineavel · 04/06/2026 17:27

ThatsCute · 04/06/2026 17:26

I take part in the school PTA raffle each month on standing order. The winners are published in the school newsletter. Should I cancel my standing order and tell the headteacher that we shouldn’t be encouraging gambling with the PTA?

You’re an adult - it’s not the school children doing the raffle.

harderthanIexpected · 04/06/2026 17:26

Tootiredforthis23 · 04/06/2026 17:09

My mum puts one in everyone’s christmas stocking, including the grandkids who are all under 10. It’s harmless, the most they’ve ever won is £5, usually they just share what they’ve won and buy some sweets or something. It’s no big deal, just the same as how they would let us pick a horse for grand national or pick lottery numbers. Out of the 4 of us none of us gamble at all.

If one of my kids ever won the top prize, which is a really low chance so it’s never going to happen, obviously I’d put it into savings for them, I would have them split it with their siblings though, it’s literally just chance and it wouldn’t be fair to have one with 100k or whatever in savings.

I honestly think this is a really dangerous path to go down! Although it is vanishingly unlikely, I think it is asking an awful lot of siblings to reconcile themselves to one of them winning a genuinely life-changing sum of money based on the sheer luck of which card got popped in which stocking. I just wouldn't want to risk that within my own family.

We sometimes buy a scratchcard for everyone at Christmas etc, but we have a simple rule - winnings under £100 are kept by the lucky holder, and anything larger is viewed as being won by the group as a whole and so is split equally.

ETA - sorry, somehow I didn't read your post properly - I see that similar to what you do already!

ThatsCute · 04/06/2026 17:26

I take part in the school PTA raffle each month on standing order. The winners are published in the school newsletter. Should I cancel my standing order and tell the headteacher that we shouldn’t be encouraging gambling with the PTA?

Evilkineavel · 04/06/2026 17:25

At 13, not wouldn't have. 16 plus, yes, or 18 if that’s the age to buy them, but I wouldn’t have bought them for her underage.

Offherrockingchair · 04/06/2026 17:25

Sounds like MIL - one Lotto ticket a year and it’s a slippery slope apparently 😆

Aleiha · 04/06/2026 17:24

My DF sometimes buys scratch cards for all of his grandchildren. I hate it. It's giving them that buzz of excitement from gambling at too early an age. It's the wrong message for children whose brains are not fully developed.

IPoopRainblows · 04/06/2026 17:23

Fidbdfb · 04/06/2026 16:50

That's life though.

My son will get one on his birthday this year and if he doesnt win then thats just life!

Show quote history

Exactly.
Every Christmas my sister brings scratch cards for everyone, teens included. We’ve had some big wins over the years, no one is bitter or jealous when someone else wins, that would be utterly childish and if you are going to sulk for not winning then you really should not partake. The only agreement we have is, if it’s the jackpot it gets shared with everyone.

Thingsthatgo · 04/06/2026 17:23

I wouldn’t buy a scratch card for a child. There’s a reason why they can’t buy them for themselves.
I got a bit too much of a buzz from low level gambling, like arcade machine and raffles as a child, so a win on a scratch card would have been a slippery slope I think.

MrsPapillon · 04/06/2026 17:22

Troublein · 04/06/2026 17:05

I don't think it's the end of the world, but I don't understand why you can't allow your child to be a child for the very few years she has left.

She has the rest of her life to do adult things, and so very few years to be a child.
Why are you teaching her that only adult things are fun?

You have positively reinforced the idea that fun comes from gambling as she has had a taste of winning this way.

Would you buy her a vibrator at her age?
I see it as an equally adult thing and I think you should leave adult things to adults.

The law has decided children should not be gambling, you are teaching her to flout the law for no real gain.

It's a little thing, but the breakdown of society starts with the little things.

If you have seen the state of our country, where the price for raping your little girl was recently set at £26 by a judge, you'd know this is not a society where it's safe to be a little girl already.

Fucking hell. From a fun birthday gift to vibrators to child rape to the breakdown of society in one extremely bizarre post! 🤦🏻‍♀️