EU Regulators Joint Statement on Prediction Markets Hints at Long-Term Cooperation

Prediction markets have dominated gambling news for the past few weeks, and the latest instalment in the great 2026 legal saga is that 9 EU countries have now issued a joint statement on these controversial exchanges. And the timing is not by accident, this statement was released in the middle of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, in what will most likely shatter all betting handles and records set before.

The message from the gambling regulators from the 9 countries is simply, be careful. They warn that these sites display several addictive characteristics, and that their legality is still questionable. Responsible gambling tools are virtually nonexistent on prediction market sites, and the operators will keep a close eye on what happens next.

It is not so much the content of what they are trying to say, but the final parting message that leaves a pretty important point of note. Cross-border cooperation will be strengthened during the tournament, and beyond. Could this be the start of some kind of pan-European policy for these prediction markets, and if so, would this be favorable or damaging to prediction markets in Europe?

Joint Statement on Prediction Markets

The statement begins with some urgency. It recognizes the increasing demand for sports bets, specifically football betting, on the FIFA World Cup, and how prediction markets have become part of that market. Gambling authorities in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland united on the matter and published their joint concerns about prediction markets.

“By allowing users to bet on the outcome of political, sporting, or geopolitical events, prediction markets exhibit several addictive characteristics, exacerbated by the fact that, in countries where these platforms are not licensed”

It continued to state that the authorities will stand in to protect players, but also to ensure that the prediction markets do not overstep the legal boundaries. That is, where there are legal boundaries in place specifically for these types of platforms. Emphasis on the addictive nature of prediction markets, and their implications was fleshed out numerous times.

“they offer no guarantees: 24/7 accessibility, no built-in betting limits, no mechanisms to limit playing time, and insufficient identity and age verification, among others. The combination of visibility, accessibility, and the inherent viral nature of this type of platform creates a particularly addictive vicious cycle.”

And the regulators said that there would be action taken, if necessary, specifically around the points of betting integrity and advertising. Specifically, the regulators will increase their activity on social media during the competition to promote safe play and potentially curb the gambling messages prediction markets send to sports fans.

Each Country’s Stance on the Exchanges

Up until now, the legal opinion on prediction markets has been pretty divided across Europe. There is no official stance on these platforms, as a union, and domestic policies vary by country. The 9 countries in this union all lean towards the more anti-prediction market consensus, with safeguards to curb prediction market access to outright blocking sites like Polymarket and Kalshi.

Belgium

While Belgium has not yet made laws on prediction markets, the regulators take a more conservative stance against these exchanges. It blacklisted Polymarket and blocked other prediction markets back in February of 2025.

Regulators have shown virtually zero tolerance for operators without betting licenses, and as prediction markets cannot obtain standard or even intermediary betting licenses, they fall out of this legal scope.

France

The French National Gaming Authority, ANJ, is the only authority that has fully declared prediction markets illegal. In November 2024, the French gambling regulator came to the conclusion that the services offered by Polymarket were deemed illegal. Polymarket, and later Kalshi, both implemented geoblocking to prevent any customers from signing up from France.

Germany

In the previous pan-European crackdown on prediction markets, the Joint Gambling Authority of the German Federal States (GGL) warned players against participating in what it called “illegal social betting“. It deemed the rules not clear enough, the markets at high risk of manipulation or fixing, and that without clearly verifiable results, it goes against the Interstate Treaty on Gambling 2021. Prediction markets are not banned, but they cannot obtain valid licenses or be whitelisted in the country.

Italy

In 2025, the Italian gaming authority, ADM, added Polymarket to Italy’s blacklist. Prediction markets are not accessible in the country, and the gambling rules in Italy have tightened considerably in the last year. They have reformed their licensing framework, cutting hundreds of skin sites, and also introduced a licensing schedule to help create a more compact licensed market. Prediction markets are not classified as sports betting, and so they are treated as unregulated operators.

The Netherlands

The  Netherlands has continuously tightened its iGaming and sports betting laws since the market opened in 2021. Recently, it blocked “potentially fixable” markets such as first corner, yellow cards and own goals, as well as blocked social betting features like Share Your Bet. Prediction markets are not legal, and the Netherlands blocked these sites in 2025. The government has also recently proposed an outright ban on gambling ads, amid a failing regulated market that has now been overtaken by the black market.

Poland

Poland also has a zero tolerance policy on prediction markets, and blacklisted Polymarket in the wider 2025 EU crackdown. It does not distinguish prediction markets in its iGaming laws. Simply put, they fall outside the legal periphery and so are deemed black market sites.

Portgual

Portugal has legal betting, with an open market that allows foreign and local operators to obtain a Portuguese gaming license. However, betting on political events is illegal, as is placing bets on anything that is considered non-sporting, or real-world events. In 2026, the regulator blocked over €103 million in political bets, as per Decree-Law No 66/2015, and blocked Polymarket in 2026.

Spain

The Spanish DGOJ recently blocked Polymarket, Kalshi and a host of prediction markets, stating that the authorities do not recognize these betting products. It was not completely damning for operators, as the Spanish authorities suggested they would examine the case for prediction markets, and that in the following months they would reach a verdict.

Switzerland

While not technically part of the EU, Switzerland joined the statement and already has a clear stance on prediction markets. Polymarket was banned back in 2024, and Switzerland keeps its sports betting scene extremely tight – with Swisslos and Loterie Romande running the only recognized sportsbooks in the country. It is highly unlikely they would change their stance on prediction markets, and the fact that Switzerland joined the alliance suggests that the prediction market conundrum is spreading to all European countries, EU or not.

Fragmented EU on Prediction Markets

This is not the first time European countries have linked arms in a joint effort to protect their gaming sectors. The first wider crackdown on prediction markets came in 2025, following France’s example of banning the markets, and setting off a chain reaction of gambling authority enforcements against prediction markets. They have joined forces on other aspects of gaming too, on the subject of EU player protection standards and also making data-sharing alliances to combat black market sites.

But for prediction markets, the work is a little trickier. Despite emerging in roughly 2024 as the new alternative to betting, there are few to no regulations built around prediction markets. Most countries either classify them as unregulated sites because they don’t meet the classic sports betting criteria. Or, they are completely ignored, and prediction markets are left to their own devices.

However, in the UK, prediction markets are officially classed as betting intermediaries. This also extends to Gibraltar, which controversially licensed the first prediction market in Europe back in April.

FIFA World Cup Betting and Markets

If you were watching any of the games, there is a chance you may have spotted the ads for this site, as it is the official prediction market for the FIFA World Cup. ADI PredictStreet is run by an Abu Dhabi company, the ADI Foundation.

As the official prediction market partner of FIFA, PredictStreet can bypass state laws in the US against prediction market ads during sports games. FIFA does have some of the strictest rules for and against ads. On the one hand, prediction market PredictStreet can advertise its betting products, but anything outside recognized partners is strictly forbidden. Levi’s Stadium and Gillette Stadium have to cover the branded part of their stadium name during the tournament – and German player Musiala had to tape the Beats logo on his headphones at an event.

But the World Cup is broadcast to virtually every corner of the globe, so PredictStreet ads are not just flashing up in America, but all over South America, Africa, Asia, and Europe as well. The German regulator, GGL, is currently launching an investigation into PredictStreet over potential violations of gambling advertising laws.

Where Cross-Border Cooperation Could Lead

The statement ended with the parties stating they will strengthen cross-border cooperation. And that line is alone enough to suggest that the regulators may come together to solve this prediction market dilemma. If they do, the result could either be very fortunate or more likely, extremely damaging for prediction market operators. These regulators are already against prediction markets, and if they decide to jointly declare these products illegal, standing with France, it would hurt the integrity of prediction markets all over the world.

In the US, prediction markets are currently facing legal battles on all fronts, from trying to overturn an outright ban in Minnesota to battling a prediction market per-bet tax in Illinois. And these woes would only continue if more regulators blacklist prediction markets. This World Cup could be one of the great turning points for the operators, and the very future of prediction markets could be at stake.