Mike, congrats. Good for you! Confused a bit, however. Did you also play those numbers and win? If not, why not take a gift? Thread on "what would you do if you found a winning ticket that was signed" had comments from people who said they'd gladly accept a gift if it was offered. So what's the difference since we're talking about integrity. If someone won $5,000 and said "here's $500 for helping me" I'd probably take it. (unless I thought it was a "sting operation" lol) Depends on my financial situation at the time I suppose, but it's not as if you are running a business & charging for these services.
This brings up a whole other subject, since there are plenty of people who sell books and other gambling tools. So are they cheating people who buy their books or take their advice because they make a profit? The only reason I'm writing this is that I do the same thing. I've often turned down gifts or money when it's offered. I can't tell you the amount times I found a pet and took care of it until I located the owner. I used to always turn down the money, because I don't do good deeds for a reward. But some of these people were rich and just wanted to show their appreciation. This is their way of saying "Thank you for helping me." Last year just the opposite happened and I was surprised she didn't at least offer to pay for the visit to the vet, so maybe that makes me a hypocrite.
This probably belongs on a blog, because I'm going a little off the topic, although I really believe it's related. You've posted on other threads that you earn $350 a week at your job and support a girlfriend and 2 babies. So, to me, 10% of $5,000 would be a nice bonus and buy a lot of groceries. If someone wants to give you a few dollars, why is it wrong to turn it down?