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

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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?

I would think that was fine, interestingly my sister who works in the gambling industry would be mortified (like she was with my suggestion of scratch cards as wedding favours)

**she works in compliance

Do you know much about horses, @CalliopeFosterBeauchamp ?

Whether she does or doesn't is irrelevant - the statistics are here to see -

https://www.horsedeathwatch.com/

oh i always buy the kids one

Exactly. The school fete always has lucky dips, raffles and tombolas, which the children are encouraged to participate- not much different to a lottery ticket.
Also, it’s a one off.

FFS, it was a one off, lighten up. You sound so much fun....

We do this for Xmas and birthdays no gambling addicts here now they are all grown

I understand you think it is a small thing, but it is a criminal offence - I didn't know this until I read the thread.

lol

Ask yourself why is there an age limit for scratchcards?

I can remember buying a scratch card for my 13-year-old after relentless pressure, to show him what a waste of money they were. Only (deleted) time I've ever won.

It’s not like you wrapped her up 20 Silk Cut and a bottle of vodka. I really couldn’t get het up over this.

The fact that so many people are horrified by a 13 yo getting a scratch card from a parent as a jokie present is mind boggling...no wonder so many kids seem so sheltered from the world. I worry that a massive portion of the current child population will grow up and just like the last kids that have just become adults in the past few years, will be constantly barated for being the way they are. When realistically it's the parents of that generation that are shaping them. It's like people can't see the correlation of how a generation parents and how the next generation turn out.

It is gambling, but it’s something people do and fun that she actually won!

I had a doddery old great aunt that used to buy lottery tickets to put in birthday cards etc. I used to wish she would just give me the £1 she wasted on them. Never won a thing. And £1 was a decent amount for a small child back then!

All because of not getting scratchcards as a present?! It's hardly some sort of rite of passage. I don't see the point personally-either they lose and you've bought them a disappointing non-present or they win and think it's easy money.

It wasn't my daughters only present. She has plenty of other gifts. If she would of lost, she would of been fine with it. wasting £5 on a scratch card isn't an issue. I 'waste' more o decorations for her birthday that will never get used again.

You have to be 18 to buy a scratch card. If a 13 year old wins then someone 18 or above will have to claim the money on their behalf and then give them their money. If it's a scratch card with top prize £100, Id say ok. But if it was top prize £1 million, you can't just give them that as bank will ask questions and it would get awkward quick and people falling out.

No it's not a rite of passage, but that wasn't my point. It wasn't about the scratchcard itself but more the over protective nature of certain parents. Which to be fair, you've just helped me prove by suggesting that OP's kid could be upset or become a gambling addict. Kids 'gamble' all the time. Raffles, tombola's, hook a dook. Most games at carnivals and fetes. School bingo nights...