European gambling regulators issue joint warning over prediction market risks
Nine European gambling regulators have pledged to cooperate across borders and increase monitoring throughout the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Gambling regulators from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland have issued a joint statement warning that prediction market platforms that don’t comply with local regulations will face enforcement action during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The regulators said that prediction markets, which allow users to bet on political, sporting or geopolitical events, have evolved “from niche products into major platforms” and warned of the risks associated with them. They also said that such platforms exhibit several risky characteristics, compounded by the fact that, in countries where these platforms are not licensed, they operate continuously without operator-imposed betting limits, time restrictions, or meaningful age verification.
The regulators said they will work closely together during the tournament to ensure operators comply with advertising, betting integrity and player protection standards, and will take enforcement action against prediction market platforms that violate local restrictions. Sports federations, leagues and teams were also cautioned to confirm the legal status of any prediction market platform before entering into partnerships.
The statement reads: “As regulators, we have a key role to play in ensuring player protection throughout the tournament and that prediction markets must operate in accordance with the licensing and regulatory requirements of a given jurisdiction. It is important to emphasise that this type of platform involves serious risks of illegality, fund blocking, fraud through insider information, and financial volatility. Furthermore, because they are unregulated in most countries, they can create serious addiction problems.”
The German federal gambling regulator, the GGL, has previously issued a warning against the use of token-based social betting platforms and event contracts on prediction-based trading platforms like Polymarket. It advised consumers that such platforms are not permitted under the Fourth Interstate Gambling Treaty of 2021 and are not licensed by the regulator.
