Prohibit Minors from Participating in prediction Markets.

PETITION TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE CONGRESS

Subject: Request for Federal Legislation Prohibiting Minor Participation in Prediction Markets

To:
The Honorable President of the United States
The Honorable Members of the United States Senate
The Honorable Members of the United States House of Representatives

We, the undersigned concerned citizens and organizations, respectfully submit this petition to urge the enactment of federal legislation that explicitly prohibits minors (individuals under the age of 18) from participating in all forms of prediction markets, including those that operate under the assertion of being financial derivatives or event contracts.

Background:

Prediction markets, which allow individuals to buy and sell contracts based on the outcome of future events, have rapidly expanded their offerings, including those related to sports and other high-profile events. Despite the ongoing legal and regulatory debate at the state and federal level regarding their classification as a form of gambling or a regulated financial product, many platforms currently permit individuals as young as 18 to participate nationwide. In many states, the legal age for traditional gambling, including sports betting, is 21, and the distinction between these markets and traditional wagering is becoming increasingly blurred.

Justification for Action:

Protection of Vulnerable Youth: Minors and young adults, whose brains are still developing, are particularly susceptible to the risks associated with speculative financial activities and gambling-like behavior, including addiction, financial distress, and emotional harm. Allowing participation as young as 18, and potentially even younger if age verification protocols are insufficient, exposes high school students and recent graduates to these significant dangers without the protections typically afforded to older adults in regulated gambling environments.

Harmonizing Age Restrictions: The current patchwork of state and regulatory-based age requirements creates an environment where some prediction markets operate with an age limit lower than that of state-regulated sports betting. Federal legislation is necessary to establish a clear, nationwide minimum age to align with the principle of protecting young adults from high-risk, speculative activities.

Consumer Protection: State-regulated gambling operations often mandate robust consumer protection measures, including limits on deposits, responsible gaming resources, and strict age verification. Prediction markets, by operating outside of these state-level gambling regulatory frameworks, frequently lack these essential safeguards, leaving young participants exposed to unchecked risk.

The Request:

We urgently request that the President and the Congress initiate and pass a comprehensive federal law that:

Sets a Minimum Age: Prohibits any individual under the age of 21 from engaging in transactions on any platform defined as a "prediction market" or offering "event contracts" or similar speculative instruments based on future real-world events.

Mandates Strict Age Verification: Requires all operators of such markets to implement rigorous, federally-approved age verification and identity checks to ensure compliance with the minimum age requirement.

Establishes Penalties: Imposes substantial federal penalties on any platform found to be in violation of these age restrictions.

We implore the President and the Congress to prioritize the well-being of America's youth over the commercial interests of these platforms. Immediate legislative action is essential to prevent the spread of potentially harmful, unregulated speculative activity among minors and young adults.

Respectfully Submitted,

The Undersigned Concerned Citizens and Organizations
(Space for Signatures/Names)

Date: October 10, 2025