As betting activity increases during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, gambling regulators from nine European countries have issued a joint statement outlining plans to strengthen cooperation against prediction market platforms that fail to comply with national gambling laws.
Regulators from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland said they will work together throughout the tournament to monitor prediction markets, while also reminding consumers of the risks associated with unlicensed platforms.
The authorities noted that prediction markets, which allow users to speculate on the outcome of sporting, political and other real-world events, have grown in popularity in recent years, particularly among younger adults.
According to the statement, concerns include the absence of responsible gambling safeguards on platforms that are not licensed within their jurisdictions.
The regulators highlighted potential risks, including inadequate identity and age verification, the lack of betting or time limits, continuous availability, as well as wider concerns relating to market integrity, insider trading, financial volatility and the possibility of player funds being frozen.
Alongside consumer protection measures, the regulators confirmed they will cooperate on enforcement activity where prediction market operators are found to be operating without the necessary licences.
The initiative will also include greater information sharing, exchanges of regulatory expertise and coordinated public awareness campaigns promoting safer gambling practices.
The statement additionally urges sports organisations, including leagues, federations and clubs, to verify the legal status of prediction market platforms before entering into commercial partnerships.
The joint statement adds to a wider pattern of regulatory activity around the tournament. In France, a cross-party group of MPs has proposed a bill to tighten sports betting advertising rules, while Brazil's Secretariat of Prizes and Betting has stepped up consumer protection work with national agencies.
Authorities in Malaysia and Singapore have also announced expanded enforcement against illegal gambling and unlicensed betting promotion during the World Cup period.
The joint initiative brings together regulators from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland, marking one of the largest coordinated European responses to prediction markets to date
