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 think it’s fine and fun and no harm done .

FGS you all seriously need to loosen your tightly clenched arses!

It’s a bit of fun. So none of you ever played bingo, or bought a raffle ticket, or used a tombola? Put money on a football team card or went to a race night? Put money into the works lottery syndicate? All gambling.

I agree with u. Far to young. Even if it is "a bit of fun"

When you claim it, don’t take her and don’t mention she scratched it. I’ve seen cases where claims have been denied if it’s deemed to be for someone underage. That would be a lesson to learn about gambling though.

She wasn't actually gambling. Your DD didn't buy the ticket so didn't risk anything.

A big over reaction! Should we stop school raffles, bingo, tombolas?

The first bet online is often free, it is still gambling.

We always got one in a Christmas cracker and in a birthday card growing up, I haven't gambled at all as an adult (no lottery etc). It mainly taught me that you almost never win and if you do you win very little. I can't recall any of us every winning anything more than a pound or two back over the many many years this went on.

With that being said I think the £100 win for a child would give me pause for thought and I probably wouldn't continue with it again - rather I would make it a one off and be explaining that this is very unusual and the whole thing is designed to make money, not give it out - but yes, encourage her to enjoy it but be sensible with the winnings.

Consider whether your friend has experienced issues with gambling addictions within her family.

Some people see coming home and having a beer after work every night as harmless but my dad’s dying of pancreatic cancer so I see regular drinking as a huge issue. We are all different with different views and experiences.

I don’t see the harm, It’s easy to learn (quite quickly) that they hardly win. On another note, with that kind of luck, I’d be getting her to choose my lottery numbers🤭

I do it for Christmas Day, if they win, I just cash it on their behalf, I see no harm in it, lucky girl, my son won about £2!!

DS also won £100 on a scratch card at a similar age, possibly a bit younger. He’s now 16, enjoys one in his Christmas stocking, occasionally wins £5, usually wins nothing. He’s not turned into a gambling addict.

I get them for my kids as stocking fillers. I do see her point though. I’m against giving teens any kind of alcohol before 18 and when you see little kids with champagne glasses like their mum - it’s cute but worries me we are preparing them for alcohol (my dad was an alcoholic) I suppose it comes from life experience but your 16yr old can’t get addicted if they can’t buy them sooo I think one or two a year is fine. If mine ever won I would just use it as a learning point and explain that doesn’t always happen. I’ve been buying mine 1 or 2 a year for like 5+ years and they have never won so much as a fiver lol also people buy scratch cards to reveal/ gift holidays etc don’t they

Haven't RTWT but I recalled reading this article about the research as apparently there is some evidence that being given scratch cards as a child can shape future behaviour: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/aug/29/children-problem-gamblers-more-likely-bought-scratchcards

Came here to say the same! How do you jump from a scratch card to rape?! Mind blown 🤯

I probably wouldn’t do that but that’s only because I’m a stickler for rules. I don’t think I’d judge someone else for doing this though or even say anything about it.

Bloody hell. Knew the replies would be quite negative 🤦🏻‍♀️. Mumsnet is such a moral high ground sort of place. I did the grand national as a kid, picking the horses and then putting my pound bet on with my family and it was great fun. It didn’t lead me to a life of gambling 🤣. Sounds a fun thing to have done and bonus, she won. Nice!

13?! Really?!

There are some real weirdos on here 😵‍💫

I buy them on purpose. I have gotten scratchcards (only the £1 ones) for my son's (I have two boys) advent calendars for the last couple of years because I want them to see the futility of gambling.

When they saw that over the 25 days that they hardly won anything, (the most they won once was £10) it does take something away from that exciting feeling you get from gambling.

My youngest son (aged 13) worked out that I had spent £50 on these scratch cards and they had only won a measly £10 so we were actually £40 down, his comment "it's just not worth it Mum, is it?" led to a real conversation on the perils of gambling and how the only winners are the lottery, casinos and betting companies.

I am hoping it will be enough.

My lovely mil, now deceased, used to put them in our Christmas crackers. Dcs were young when they first got them. Non of my dcs gamble.

I do the lotto and postcode lottery.

OMG "encouraging her to gamble" get a fucking life.

I was a young teen when the lottery first came out, my dad let me and my sister choose the numbers for the ticket he'd buy every week.

As an adult, I've bought maybe five tickets in my lifetime?

Of course, I've also gambled on the school tombola and those penny arcade games, so maybe I'm just a degenerate gambler and don't even know it.

Seriously. Get. A. Grip.

(Not you OP you sound normal).

What would you have done if they had happened to have won?

Unlikley I know, but it does happen?

I’ve bought them for my kids in the past occasionally- just for fun when I’ve been at the spar. Once they both won £30 in one go - happy days - generally only a quid or two. They’re both adults now and don’t gamble - they haven’t become addicts or descended into depravity. I think it’s completely fine.

Good point re raffles and tombola although I don’t know the law on those but our primary school certainly did those

Christ it wasn't crack guys