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

[Fidbdfb]

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?

People on Mumsnet are so boring sometimes. Do they also refuse to let their kids play the raffle or tombola at the school fete as well?

If she’d won thousands, would she even be able to claim the prize at 13?

I did think it through....

Yes she would be able to keep it!! I don't even have 100k left on my mortgage.

I think buying scratch (or lottery) cards for anyone is a risk, because if a big win comes up, it creates issues.
Imagine you bought a pair if siblings a scratch card, and one won thousands, and the other won nothing......

We love the chocolate tombola in this house 😂

That's life though.

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

Using common sense here ... I would claim the prize and transfer the money.

Just like I will go in the shop and claim the £100 and give it to her.

I can’t imagine giving this as a present to my kids. But I can’t see that it will do any damage to yours either

Of course it's just a bit of fun fgs

People saying 13 is to young and encourages gambling i think thats better then buying a 16 year old one at 13 she can't think this is great il go buy more at 16 she could. Personally I would never buy anyone a scratchcard or lottery tickets but thats for selfish reasons as if they won a significant amount of money with a ticket I bought I wouldn't handle it well.

What a great return on that scratch card!

It's fine. My grandfather used to buy all of his grandkids a lotto lucky dip at New Years, none of us have been scarred for life.

I wouldn't. It's gambling and winning can be more psychologically risky than losing. Letting a child gamble when their brains are still so plastic isn't advisible.

People are being ridiculous here.

It’s a nice, fun gift and exciting for her that she won. It doesn’t mean she’s going to turn into a gambling addict!!

Tbh some replies on here have really surprised me, saying 13 is far too young for this and they’d never etc - as a one off as well! Come on now. I think a lot of MNetters seem to baby their children, especially teenagers.

💯

Years and years ago pre lottery you used to get these charity scratch cards. I’m not sure where you’d buy them but I remember my grandma always used to get them for us. We used to scrape them with a 2 p piece. I’m sure the most we ever won was a few quid but it was just a bit of fun. Technically 2 p falls machines are gambling. Yanbu.

I have a 13 yr old and he would love a scratch card as a present. It’s a bit of fun, and even more fun to win £100!

Ignore most of the pretentious boring fuckers on here, they don’t live in the real world. They pretend they’re perfect on here and look down on anyone but in real life if they were that perfect would they have time to be on an internet forum before 5pm when they should be driving little Tarquin to Cricket School

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…

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

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!

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.

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.

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 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.