Adjusting before continuing in his preambulatory statements, Steward shifts his foothold and leans more into the audience. "You may be wondering why I chose this topic as my inaugural draft into the World Assembly. There are many reasons, but perhaps the most simple is that I write what I know. Back in the Habitat, capitalism was unfortunately allowed to run rampant to the point that it desolated communities. One community in particular, the community of my former brother-in-law, was brought to its knees upon the establishment of a casino. What was once one of the most prosperous and low-poverty districts in The Commonwealth was now consolidated in the hands of three or four individuals. Upon sucking the teat dry, they left the community and moved onto the next victims."
Franklin Steward, in all his grandeur, takes a moment to sigh. His weakness at this moment is palpable. "Hearing this story from my brother-in-law, my friend was hearkening. He was a kind man, brutally executed by the state following the release of his life's work. He spoke of the humbling sight following the departure of the casino: children filling the streets, wagering beans for card games. The losers went home hungry, and the winners prospered for the night. They were hooked on the idea of winning, and the government would do nothing about it."
"When I began looking into the World Assembly's stance on this, it warmed my heart to find General Assembly Resolution 123, Reducing Problem Gambling, was on the books. It was already a step infinitely further than Sollens could imagine of implementing. It both reminds and assures me that a blanket ban would not work for the world, despite the incompetencies and malevolence of my home government. I still think it would be nice to have hefty restrictions, and yes, even bans, on gambling minors. I welcome the feedback from the more experienced delegations, as well as general critiques as to my appearance and demeanor. I've tried to act appropriately for this council but I fear that I remain at odds with the 'regulars', as I've heard. Without further adieu, though, I present you with the first draft of 'Ban on Child Gambling'."
Hitting a remote control, an old projector which is far out-of-date with general World Assembly technology flickers to life and displays the draft (seen below) on the screen. Steward finishes "In addition to the copy on the screen, there will be copies in the back if you'd like to do personal annotations or bring it back to your chambers or offices to look at overnight. I appreciate all of you for being here, and I'll update the draft accordingly with your feedback."
Ban on Child Gambling
Moral Decency | Significant
The General Assembly,
Acknowledging widespread use and abuse of gambling, lotteries, and other forms of chance-based financial compensation,
Recognizing that it is wholly within the rights of fully-consenting adults to use their money as they see fit, so long as they follow reasonable restrictions, such as those present in the General Assembly Resolution "Reducing Problem Gambling",
Concerned, however, of the potential of gambling and lottery companies taking advantage of children in an attempt for the company's own financial profit or other material benedits, at the expense of the child,
Henceforth enacts the following clauses into World Assembly law:
- For the purposes and intentions of this resolution, "gambling" or any derivative thereof refers to the act of betting an item of monetary value on an action that is based on the skill of another that an individual has no direct bearing on (for example, a sporting event), or an event of pure chance, even if the player can affect the result through choosing the "winning numbers" (for example, lotteries or roulettes), or a game of mathematical odds in which a player plays against other players. These events are only gambling if they are done with a chance of receiving compensation either through direct finances or through receiving items of monetary or perceived value.
- All nations must implement an age where an individual is considered legally competent to gamble and understand the financial risks/rewards that come alongside it. This age is encouraged to be the same age of legal competence in nations, but is permitted to be younger or older depending on individual circumstances. This age is not to be younger than an age where the individual who is gambling can be reasonably assumed to be making their own well-informed decisions on the subject, while realizing that the game is largely a game of chance with minimal skill involved.
- No gambling service shall be permitted to allow children that are not legally competent to gamble to participate in gambling.
- Gambling using real-world currency or currency that can be exchanged for a real-world equivalent shall not be permitted to be present or otherwise advertised within services or games primarily intended for those under the age of majority within any nation.