FIFA prediction platform partner faces regulatory probe in Germany
The GGL is investigating whether ADI Predictstreet allowed German customers to place World Cup bets.
Germany.- The German federal gambling regulator Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL) has launched an investigation into ADI Predictstreet, the prediction market operator that has gained global visibility during the football World Cup through its partnership with FIFA. The United Arab Emirates-based company received a gambling licence in Gibraltar in time for the World Cup but does not have a licence to offer betting in Germany or other regulated European markets.
The GGL, which oversees gambling regulation across Germany’s federal states, confirmed that it is examining whether ADI Predictstreet’s World Cup promotions breached national advertising rules. According to Inside World Football, regulators are also assessing whether German residents were able to access the company’s services.
ADI Predictstreet’s deal with FIFA has gained it global exposure through pitch‑side LED boards, stadium screens, press conferences and television broadcasts. In the US, where the Commodity Futures Trading Commission claims that prediction platforms are financial products rather than gambling, it has entered into an arrangement with Fanatics. However, the company does not have gambling licences in other jurisdictions.
German law prohibits the promotion of gambling services without local authorisation. There are also strict requirements around addiction prevention, youth protection, spending limits and self‑exclusion.
The GGL noted that after launching its probe, ADI Predictstreet has now restricted access in Germany. Users attempting to log in now encounter the message: “Access from your location (DE) is restricted (Country DE is blocked).”
A GGL spokesperson said: “As a result of the supervisory measures and the official intervention, the provider has since reacted and blocked access to its service for users from Germany.”
European stance against prediction platforms
The case coincides with growing regulatory concern over prediction markets in Europea. Nine regulators representing Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland recently issued an unprecedented joint warning to the public over use of prediction markets to bet on the World Cup.
Authorities pledged to coordinate enforcement, citing risks of consumer harm, market manipulation, and fraud. Several operators, including Kalshi and Polymarket, have already faced blocking orders in some European jurisdictions.
“These platforms are not licensed. They don’t offer any safeguards and are open 24 hours a day. There are no built-in betting limits apart from the amounts staked, no time limits, identity checks to verify that users are of legal age, etc. The combination of visibility, accessibility, and the viral nature inherent to this type of platform creates a significant addictive cycle,” the statement said.
“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”.
Despite mounting pressure, ADI Predictstreet continues to pursue international expansion. The company recently announced a partnership with Kalshi, which includes co‑branded World Cup content and joint marketing across stadiums, broadcasts, and digital platforms.
FIFA has maintained that its partnership with ADI Predictstreet followed governance procedures, though it has not publicly commented on the GGL’s investigation. The Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner has defended the approval of a gambling licence for ADI Predictstreet.
