Nine prominent gambling regulators from across Europe have issued a rare joint warning as the 2026 FIFA World Cup gets underway.
The enforcement statement explicitly targets prediction market platforms that operate without local licenses. Authorities from Belgium and France along with Germany and Italy signed the document. Regulators from the Netherlands and Poland plus Portugal and Spain and Switzerland also backed the mandate. The statement stresses that these platforms pose serious risks of illegality and fund blocking. They also warn of fraud through insider information and severe financial volatility.
The regulatory groups said prediction markets have become increasingly popular among young adults. They warned that addictive features are amplified by the lack of player safeguards in unlicensed jurisdictions. The joint statement highlights how prediction markets allow users to bet on political and sporting events. Users can even wager on geopolitical events often with minimal compliance checks.
Warnings Extended to Football Leagues and Sports Federations
The official text details the systemic structural risks present within these decentralized betting models. The regulators are seeking to halt the spread of unlicensed advertising before major sporting fixtures begin.
The multi national regulatory coalition explained the operational risks in their joint public text:
“Platforms are open 24 hours a day, there are no built‑in betting limits apart from the amounts staked, no time limits, light identity checks to verify that users are of legal age. We will therefore be working closely together on this issue during this period.”
The authorities pledged to act against non compliant platforms during the tournament. They emphasized that their role is to ensure advertising and betting integrity and player protection standards are upheld. The statement also urged sports federations and football leagues to check the legality of prediction market partnerships before signing commercial deals.
The coordinated move follows a string of national crackdowns earlier this year. The Netherlands labeled Polymarket illegal gambling while Hungary blocked access and Romania blacklisted it. Spain halted operations for both Polymarket and Kalshi last month citing missing licenses. Portugal ordered Polymarket out after its national election. France and the Netherlands have also taken steps to geoblock unlicensed operators.
However Malta economy minister Silvio Schembri stated in March that the country was actively exploring prediction markets as an area presenting opportunities for innovation. Gibraltar has also moved ahead by licensing its first operator ADI Predictstreet. That brand launched at the start of the month and quickly signed on as the official prediction market partner of FIFA for the tournament.
