Nine European countries have come together to monitor and prevent prediction market activity within their jurisdictions during the FIFA World Cup.

Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, and Switzerland have signed a collective agreement committing to knowledge and information exchange on how prediction market platforms target their populations.

As a reminder, prediction market offers like the ones from Kalshi and Polymarket are effectively banned across all nine nations. Belgium went down that path in early 2025. Germany took a strong stance against them later that year. 

France became outright hostile at the start of this year, while Spain took the most recent legal action against prediction market platforms Kalshi and Polymarket. 

The Spanish campaign in particular is led by the Social Ministry (Consumo) and its 2030 agenda. The Ministry has pledged to increase the surveillance of online gambling in the country so that player protection standards can be maintained to a high degree.

On the legality of prediction market platforms and the status they currently have in Spain, Consumo added: “In those countries where they are not authorised, these prediction market platforms operate without the guarantees required by the regulations.

“They may incorporate elements that favor problematic gambling behaviors…lacking effective time or betting limits or having insufficient controls to verify the age of users. Therefore, the authorities will pay specific attention to their activity.”

All nine countries part of the agreement have also urged sports federations, leagues and teams across Europe to verify the legitimacy of their commercial partners and whether they are compliant with the local gambling legislation of the relevant jurisdiction.

Prediction markets are yet to make as big a splash in Europe as they have in the US and other markets, but jurisdictions like Gibraltar have been laying the foundations for expansion with licences issued to two platforms – ADI Predictstreet, which is partnered with this year’s World Cup, and WagerWire.

“Cross-border cooperation will continue once the World Cup is over, consolidating coordination mechanisms that contribute to a safer, more transparent and responsible gaming environment for all users,” Consumo concluded.