Guest blogger Rolemommy says selling raffle tickets to kids at school crosses the line.

Is it just me, or have kids become obsessed with gambling these days? Let me explain. When we go to the diner, my son and daughter beg me to shove 50 quarters into "the claw." Inevitably, we come up empty.

Another thing we never win: raffles. I've spent hundreds of dollars on tickets over the years and I've never gotten a  prize. A few weeks ago, my kids convinced me to spend 20 bucks on raffles for games they already own, and they were stupefied to discover they had lost...again. But here's my latest grievance.

I don't mind if I'm buying the raffle tickets or wasting my hard-earned quarters on "the claw," but I draw the line when my kids spend their own money on gambling--especially at school! This week, I gave my daughter cash to buy gifts from the school-sponsored "Valentine's Boutique." Instead of buying me a heart mug or something for her friends, she purchased tickets to win something bigger and better. When she came home empty-handed, she was in tears.

This made me furious. Is selling raffles to little kids even legal? I don't think so--but if it is, I think this practice should be outlawed. I know when I buy a ticket that I have little chance of winning, but a kid just doesn't understand that. Losing often leads to crushing disappointment--and what 8-year-old deserves that? I mean, Happy freaking Valentine's Day!

Do you think I should complain to the school or am I over-reacting?