Predictstreet wins Gibraltar license, launches U.S. World Cup hub

ADI Predictstreet received a Gibraltar gambling licence in April, signed a multi‑year official FIFA World Cup 2026 prediction‑market partnership and on May 27 launched a co‑branded U.S. World Cup Hub with Fanatics Markets. The hub is available to users in 23 U.S. states and four territories.

Fanatics Markets provides customer access and branding through its app ecosystem. The prediction contracts are listed on Crypto.com’s exchange, which operates under Commodity Futures Trading Commission regulation. Fanatics does not operate the exchange infrastructure; the contracts are offered through a CFTC‑regulated derivatives framework rather than through state‑licensed sportsbooks.

Because the contracts are listed on a federally regulated exchange, users can access the World Cup prediction markets in some states where online sportsbooks are limited or restricted, including states such as Texas, California and Florida. The hub launched on May 27 so users can trade before the tournament begins on June 11, 2026.

Prediction markets are the subject of legal disputes over whether they are federal financial instruments or state‑regulated gambling. The CFTC has sued multiple states that tried to block such platforms, naming Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, New York, Wisconsin and Rhode Island in filings. Courts have issued mixed rulings, and Minnesota enacted a ban that takes effect August 1; the CFTC and a prediction‑market operator have filed separate lawsuits against that law.

Industry data show large betting volumes around the World Cup. Barclays estimated roughly $35 billion was wagered globally on the 2022 tournament and forecast global wagers could reach $50 billion in 2026. Gambling consultants Eilers & Krejcik project U.S. betting handle for 2026 could exceed $4 billion, partly because the tournament will expand from 64 to 104 matches. Prediction‑market trading volumes have also risen: one operator reported global monthly trading volume of $14.8 billion in April 2026 and a company valuation of $22 billion.

Gibraltar officials said the licence process aimed to support economic growth. Nigel Feetham, Gibraltar’s minister of justice, trade and industry, said he can ‘‘act as quickly as I wish to act for the purposes of advancing the macroeconomic interests of Gibraltar’’ and rejected suggestions the licence was rushed, noting the decision was not ‘‘taken on the back of a cigarette packet.’’ He described Gibraltar’s licensing approach as focused on quality over quantity and cited 54 licencees at the end of 2025. Gibraltar handles a large share of wagers placed from the U.K., and officials said recent changes in U.K. gambling taxes influenced their strategy.

The hub gives ADI Predictstreet, Fanatics and partner exchanges a distribution route into U.S. markets ahead of the 2026 World Cup. The product is available now through Fanatics’ platform and through the regulated exchange that lists the prediction contracts.