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

Year’s ago a friend of my then bf was asked to buy a card for another friend when he popped to the shops. Friend A gave him a £1 for the card. Friend B brought the card back and it was a £25k win! They had this big fallout because friend B thought they should split it 50/50 because he went down and got it, Friend A disagreed as it was his £1.

I never found out the outcome as I split with bf soon after. 🤔

Jesus wept.

I don’t let my kids use the 2p machines in case they spiral into a life long gambling addiction.

I used to put scratchcards in my kids' stockings- they are a bit older than yours. But last year I had a sudden panic- what if one kid won a million and the other didn't, all based on which card I had put where? That would be a disaster. In fact it would be pretty rubbish if one won £1000 and the other didn't- they might well want to share in both cases but that's something you need to agree to beforehand, which they obviously wouldn't do before opening the stockings. So in the end i just did both scratchcards myself and didn't win anything 😂

C series £1 notes were beautiful 😊

About a million years ago I was at a Point to Point and at 13 (looked older) put 2/6 on a horse called Lamb Chop because lamb is my favourite meat. It came in at 7/1. Obviously I am now a confirmed gambler (not).

She can't go and buy more scratch cards and will know there are more often losers than winners. I think she'll be safe 🤗

It’s not gambling if all she did was scratch off the panels.

don’t tell the shop or anyone official that you bought it specifically for her though, I’m sure I’ve heard of winnings being rescinded because the card cannot be purchased on behalf of minors

When I invite people over for a meal at Christmas, they get a cracker type thing with a scratch lottery card in too as a bit of extra fund and as a talking point. Obviously I see no harm in it as the expectation is that nothing more than a few quid would be won.

But in fairness, the more I think about it, and I know the chances are slim, what if one of those kids won £50,000, parents would need to manage it and would it give the wrong signal to kids.....ooh you have me thinking now.

She cant win the jackpot. You would have to claim it. Shes too young

I think it's illegal for anyone gifted a scratch card under 18 to redeem a prize if they win?

Ew, why would you even go there 😬

As well as being allowed a bet on the Grand National we used to go the penny arcades on holiday armed with a pile of pennies. None of us became gamblers.

And we used to help do the ‘pools’ each week.

I think it's fine, life is all about probability and odds and a little gamble is a way to learn about it.
Buying Premium Bonds for children is considered perfectly ok, so is buying Insurance. Both are forms of gambling.

What an odd thing to say.

I wouldn't get a child a scratchcard. You have now shown her that you can win a good amount (for a kid) and she may wish to replicate the win. Its the gateway gamble isn't it? I know as I have familial experience, and its not the path you wish to go down. Its not even extreme to liken it with chasing the dragon and the high she wants to repeat by gambling more. Age limits are there for a reason.

Would I buy a vibrator for my child?

I think you need to start a new thread.

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 categorise scratch cards in the same was as fruit machines (pp comparison doesn't work, the tombola at the fete has an end point and people can't easily throw away a months rent in a day using one!)
I don't like sports betting much either but at least then there is a hobby in it with studying form etc even though theirs no guarantees of course.

That said, I wouldn't be commenting like your friend has because that's your decision!

Your friend is being unreasonable. I'm a primary school teacher and we do raffles in school all the time for toys, Easter Eggs, prizes etc. My own kids help me and my DH pick lottery numbers now and again.

God, what a completely weird thing to say.

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.

My mother loves buying scratch cards. My DC always loved doing the “money scratch “ with Nana and Granda. I think people on here are way overthinking it

I don't think it's a big deal. I used to love doing the occasional scratchcard with my mum. I'm a well rounded professional adult without a gambling addiction lol.

We let our kids have one at Christmas on the Christmas crackers and have done since they were young. I do understand why people are against them but for us its a little bit of fun at Christmas. I wouldnt let it bother you.

When I was young my dad would let us each put a small bet on the Grand National every year (back in the early 70s). One year I won! I got one of those big £1 notes and I remember I couldn’t stop looking at it as it was the most money I ever had. I bought a maxi dress in the sale with it. I was younger than your dd. I didn’t turn into a gambler!

OMG i was literally going to comment again joking about Tarquin 😂😂

scratch cards, lottery tickets etc… I simply find those sad and rather depressing.

So many people spending their hard earned money, hoping for that one big win, repeated disappointments, losing more than the average person will ever win…. I find it depressing.

(and yes, gambling doesn’t necessarily have to be like that. I am very aware that it can simply be about entertainment and fun for some people. But that’s what I think of if I read „scratch card“.)

and why would I gift something that was quite likely to be worthless? That might lead to disappointment?

So no, I definitely would not buy a scratch card for a 13 yo. But I would be surprised if your gift were to genuinely harm your child…