France’s ANJ has warned that prediction-market platforms may expose users to addictive behaviour and risks not found on licensed betting sites. It said these platforms can attract people new to gambling and lack safeguards including age checks, staking limits and session caps; Polymarket restricted French access after the regulator contacted it over suspected unauthorised gambling.
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Spain’s DGOJ described prediction markets as cross-betting products in a 26 May notice, while its director general reiterated at MERGE Madrid in late October that gambling products require a licence to operate in Spain. The notice did not specify which licence applies; the article interprets the existing cross-betting category as potentially relevant. Italy’s 2013 rules allow player-to-player betting on non-sporting events, but the source says such events have not become part of a working exchange market.
Spain's DGOJ described prediction markets as player-to-player cross-betting in a 26 May notice, but did not say which licence applies, according to an analysis on an Italian gambling industry site. The author said a link to an existing cross-betting licence was an interpretation.
Nevada senator Catherine Cortez Masto said sports prediction markets constitute gambling and criticised a CFTC directive on access to federally regulated exchanges. The directive gave exchanges 30 days to comply or explain why they could not, a requirement that the coverage says complicates operators’ responses to state court orders.
Federally regulated exchanges have 30 days to lift restrictions based on traders’ residence within the United States or explain why they cannot, under an order issued last week by the CFTC. The order added compliance difficulties for prediction market operators facing court-ordered access limits in states including Michigan, Nevada and Washington.
France Football has opened an investigation into suspicious betting patterns around the Ballon d’Or, reportedly, and said French police would also be involved. The report says 12 Polymarket accounts wagered a combined $264,000 on the final top-five ranking, while seven accounts bet only on that event.
The organisation has opened an official probe into the suspicious betting patterns. French police are to take part in the inquiry as well. France Football has promised to establish whether any parties bear responsibility. Its position is that the winners were chosen through a vote run independently.
The CFTC said on 5 November that registered designated contract markets must remove domestic geographic restrictions that conflict with its fair-access requirements within 30 days. Exchanges must also ensure partner intermediaries comply, or explain in writing why they cannot; the guidance comes amid state court orders requiring restrictions in several states.
The CFTC said on 5 November that registered prediction market operators must unblock geoblocked states within 30 days. Under its new interpretative guidance, designated contract markets that cannot comply may instead explain in writing why they cannot.
The CFTC issued guidance saying state-based geographic restrictions generally conflict with impartial-access requirements for designated contract markets in the United States. It gave exchanges 30 days to remove conflicting blocks or explain to the Division of Market Oversight, with supporting evidence, why compliance is not feasible. The same framework applies to intermediaries and other entities providing market access.
The CFTC said state-based geographic restrictions on prediction markets are generally inconsistent with its impartial access rules, and gave operators and exchanges 30 days to lift them or explain why they cannot. The agency issued the guidance on Thursday as a formal interpretation of its impartial access requirements for designated contract markets. It said location alone should not be used to deny access to eligible participants within the United States.