Sister Picked Up His Scratch-Offs, Then Wanted Half of the $10K
A 27-year-old man asked his 31-year-old sister to grab a few scratch-off tickets while she was at a gas station, and he handed her $20 to cover them. One ticket turned out to be a $10,000 winner. Now his sister, and his mom, say he owes somebody a cut.
This story was reported by Percolately and comes from a post on r/AmItheAsshole. It’s one side of one family, and nobody can verify it, so I’m judging the behavior described, not the people.
Show Marge’s quick verdict (spoilers)
The Scroll in Brief
- The conflict: A man won $10,000 on a scratch-off his sister picked up for him, and she says that earns her half.
- What the crowd said: According to Percolately, Reddit overwhelmingly sided with the winner. He paid, so the win is his.
- Marge’s ruling: Not the villain. He offered dinner and $100, which is plenty for a gas station errand. Mom’s $1,000 math doesn’t hold up.
The Verdict: Not the villain. Picking up the ticket isn’t the same as buying it.
The Original Post
The Short Version
The poster was at home when his sister mentioned she was stopping at a gas station. He gave her $20 and asked her to pick up a few scratch-offs for him. She did. One of them won $10,000.
Before the win, she had joked that she’d want half if he ever hit big. Afterward the joke stopped being funny. Her argument: she physically picked the winning ticket, so she deserves a share. He didn’t agree.
He offered to take her out to a nice dinner and give her $100. She wasn’t impressed. Then their mom stepped in and said he should hand over at least $1,000, because he “wouldn’t have won without” his sister. He’s still not budging, and the family is tense.
What the Internet Said
According to Percolately, commenters were nearly all on his side. The main point: he paid for the tickets and took the risk, so the winnings are his. Dinner and $100 for a quick errand already sounds generous to most people.
Plenty of readers got funny about it, asking whether the cashier and the gas station owner should get a cut too. A few said that if he wants peace, giving a small bonus is fine, as long as he’s ready for the same ask next time. Others warned she’d probably stay resentful either way, and one commenter shared a story about relatives who stopped speaking over a scratch-off win.
Marge’s Ruling
Not the villain. A ticket belongs to whoever paid for it. He fronted the $20, he took the gamble, and his sister was a helpful errand-runner, not a co-owner. If I send you to the store for milk and you bring home a winning ticket, I’m buying you dinner, not writing you a check.
He also didn’t stiff her. Dinner plus $100 is a real thank-you for five minutes of work. The part that bugs me is Mom, who turned a simple favor into a family tribunal and put a $1,000 price tag on it.
If he wants to keep the peace, a bigger gesture is his call and a kind one. But it’s a gift, not a debt. Nobody gets to bill him for a joke she made before the win.
Cast Your Vote
Marge has ruled. Now it’s your turn: pick a side below, then see how the Goblin Tavern on Discord voted.
The Tavern Verdict
Our Discord votes on every Goblin’s Verdict with reactions. To vote, open the post in #goblins-verdict and tap one: 😇 Not the villain, 👿 The villain, 🔥 Everyone’s a goblin or 🕊️ No villains. Here’s how the Goblin Tavern is leaning:
Tally: voting just opened. Join the vote in our Discord.
Keep digging: Cousin Played an AI Song About Grandma, and She Called It Lazy, Expecting Mom Was Let Down by Her Birthday Gifts From Her Mom and more Reddit drama.
This story was reported by Percolately and comes from a post on r/AmItheAsshole. The goblins summarize and give their own take; they don’t copy the original text. Names and usernames are left out on purpose.
