The Pokémon trading card craze appears to be making a comeback in Singapore, with children once again spending time collecting, trading and opening booster packs.
While some parents may welcome the trend as a healthier alternative to children spending hours on their mobile phones, one Singapore mother has highlighted a potential downside that she believes deserves more attention.
In a social media post, the mother said she was happy to see children returning to a more traditional pastime instead of being glued to their screens. However, she questioned whether the excitement surrounding Pokémon cards could introduce children to another form of gambling.
Expensive Booster Packs And The Chase For Rare Cards
Her concern centres on how the value of certain Pokémon cards has increased, with rare and highly sought-after cards potentially fetching much higher prices than ordinary ones.
This creates an incentive for children to keep purchasing booster packs in the hope of pulling a valuable card.
Rather than simply buying cards to enjoy the game or complete a collection, some children may become increasingly focused on getting their hands on the rarest and most expensive cards.
The mother drew a comparison with Singapore Pools, pointing out that even a $1 Toto bet offers a chance of winning a million-dollar jackpot.
However, Pokémon booster packs can be considerably more expensive, and children may find themselves repeatedly spending money without knowing whether they will get the card they want.
Is This Another Form Of Gambling For Children?
The mother clarified that her argument was not about suggesting that Singapore Pools is a better alternative to Pokémon cards.
Instead, her main point was that children could be adopting another form of gambling-like behaviour without necessarily recognising it.
The uncertainty of opening a booster pack, the excitement of potentially finding a rare card and the temptation to keep buying more can resemble the reward mechanism associated with gambling.
For younger children, this could potentially encourage habits such as chasing losses, spending more in pursuit of a desired reward and placing increasing importance on the monetary value of collectibles.
Of course, collecting Pokémon cards is not inherently gambling, and many children simply enjoy the artwork, trading and playing the card game.
However, the mother’s concerns raise an interesting question for parents: while getting children away from their phones is certainly a positive development, should parents also pay attention to what their children are spending their money on?
After all, replacing screen time with a physical hobby may be beneficial, but it does not automatically mean the new activity comes without its own risks.