Once upon time, all of us FIFA addicts spent our ‘hard earned ‘pocket money on Ultimate Team player packs.

Home from school on a Friday and spending cash on pack after pack was my usual routine, anyway.

Still never got Messi.

Well, it appears four kids from Hampshire took it one step too far as they emptied dad’s bank account in search of the game’s top players.

The father, Thomas Carter, had originally bought the kid’s a single pack worth £8 – under the impression they did not known how he’d purchased it.

However, much to his naivety, the kids knew exactly what to do.

On the gaming platform, Nintendo Switch – the four kids under 10-years-old spent nearly £550 in three weeks on their dad’s bank account.

The console has been confiscated ‘indefinitely’.

With the bank balance taking a severe hit, Nintendo have played the good guy move and refunded the dad the amount spent by the kids.

Sigh of relief from Thomas, I’m sure.

The parents only discovered what had happened when the card as declined elsewhere because the bank account was completely empty.

The dad took to twitter to show the heartbreaking bank statement... 

"I just never thought [the children] would do it," Thomas told the BBC.

"You pay £40 for the game, which is a lot of money in itself, but then the only way to get a great team is essentially by gambling," he said, referring to online play.

"They spent £550 and they still never got their favourite player, Lionel Messi."

Thomas has a point.

This FIFA feature is essentially gambling in attempt to get the game’s best players, with kids as young as three-years-old having access to this.

Should more be done to tackle this modern form of gambling? Leave your comments below…