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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think scratchcards are a big con

92 replies

Sunshinegirls · 27/04/2017 23:09

I've never heard of anyone winning the big prize on a lottery scratch card.
I think there is no big prize just little teaser prizes to get you hooked.

OP posts:

MouldyPeach · 27/04/2017 23:11

Do you buy them? I've definitely seen stories of people winning, memorably one guy who one at lunch time and then went back to work why??

Original poster

Sunshinegirls · 27/04/2017 23:21

I do buy them occasionally. I just wondered if anyone knew of real life big wins, as I am starting to believe they don't exist.

OP posts:

Elphame · 27/04/2017 23:32

Huge con - I once "earned" £200 of scratchcards in a promotion. Took me hours to scratch them off and the biggest prize I won was £2. In total I won about £15.00.

I was just glad it wasn't my money that was wasted. I've never bought any of my own.

ginghambox · 27/04/2017 23:34

Well don't buy one then.

Bunbunbunny · 27/04/2017 23:36

You can check online to see how many big wins have been claimed

I hate them, total waste of money

RedStripeIassie · 27/04/2017 23:39

Oh shit they're a con!! Ive wasted time and money on them in the past. My husband has spent a shit load on them in the past and has actually won £500, and a few £100 ones. I've no idea how much he must have spent though.

thefourgp · 27/04/2017 23:42

I read about a guy a couple of years ago who got prosecuted for stealing £2000 worth of scratch cards. He won £145. I do know someone who won a large amount online but they're a gambling addict and lost it all pretty quickly on more gambling. I buy them occasionally but the odds of winning a life changing amount are close to a miracle.

Cocklodger · 27/04/2017 23:43

How else did you think scratchcards worked?
For them to be viable, it literally relies on more people losing money than gaining it (or at least more £ being lost per person than gained)
Like most big gambling wins, you'll see the odd person win it. But most of the time IME if you know them by sight, they'll probably turn out to be the person betting (be it with a scratch card or lottery card) every day for quite some time and lost almost every time. It doesn't look quite so attractive then.
YANBU to find it distasteful

Original poster

Sunshinegirls · 27/04/2017 23:44

I've just googled for some "winners" stories. They feel a bit fake

OP posts:

ShatnersBassoon · 27/04/2017 23:47

Of course they're a mugs' game, because you're unlikely to win. But the organisers are honest about the odds being stacked against you, so it's not as if people expect to win big on them, is it?

BahHumbygge · 27/04/2017 23:49

When the NL first brought out scratchcards I had a good run of small winnings, so maybe £40 on £20 spends. But then I hit a dry spell and I quit about the break even mark & never played again

Original poster

Sunshinegirls · 27/04/2017 23:49

I understand the way they work and that the odds of winning are extremely slim, but what I am doubting is that the big prize exists at all.

OP posts:

mynachos · 27/04/2017 23:49

My best friend won £10,000 two years ago. She bought one or two a month approx probably for the last ten years or so. A woman I work with won £20,000 last week, was the third one she had ever bought in her life!

ShatnersBassoon · 27/04/2017 23:50

People do win on them, no doubt about it. You're very unlikely to witness someone winning though, so you'll just have to take the Regulator's word for it.

Original poster

Sunshinegirls · 27/04/2017 23:51

Mynachos, that's my theory blown out the water then!

OP posts:

shockedballoon · 27/04/2017 23:55

I won £50 years ago - it was about the 2nd or 3rd I'd ever bought. Never won more than £2 since then. I buy roughly 8 or so a year. Usually leave them in my purse for a while before scratching them, so I can pretend they are winners for a bit.

Nocabbageinmyeye · 28/04/2017 00:01

A family member of mine won 50kon one, total fluke in that she very rarely bought them and has the good sense to realise lightening doesn't strike twice and hasn't bought one since, which means it probably won't strike me either unfortunately

WildBelle · 28/04/2017 00:10

I know someone who won £50k. Gutting thing is that he is already minted and really didn't need the money.

Trills · 28/04/2017 00:11

I highly doubt they are lying about the prizes, if you are buying from reputable companies.

It's far more likely that you just don't understand statistics well enough to know that you should not expect to have ever heard of anyone winning big, considering how bad the odds are.

Pardonwhatnow · 28/04/2017 00:27

I have never witnessed anyone win over £50k so thinking about it you are probably right and the big prizes don't exist.

It's not like these things that are in every newsagent and supermarket would be regulated in any way so I am sure they just write what they want on the tickets to make people buy them.

Thanks for pointing it out.

Teabagtits · 28/04/2017 00:30

My ex-boss's mum won £25k but that was over 20years ago. Most I've heard of since was £500.

I won £100 on one of those cards you can win 8 times on. I won 5 x £20.

AbernathysFringe · 28/04/2017 00:38

i know a £50k winner. She did nothing exciting with it whatsoever.

cheesenpickledonions · 28/04/2017 00:42

A friend of my mums won over a million on a scratch card. Mind you it cost £10

Apparently it was the last one on the roll and she had gone earlier in the day but forgot so went back and that was the winner.

However I'm sure this is v v rare

caroldecker · 28/04/2017 01:02

Have a look at this for example, the £250k navy card has 111 million cards printed, with 106 with prizes above £5k. So 1 in a million will win 'big'. Not likely to see them.
Overall prize pot is c70% of the amount sold.

StillHungryy · 28/04/2017 01:03

They aren't a con people win them BUT the odds are really not in your favour and I think they give loads of prizes that are your money back or say £5 so people consider it less of a risk and the odds are lower

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