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Global25h ago

Malta drafts prediction market rules as potential third regulatory category

Why this matters?

A bespoke Maltese framework would give prediction market operators a regulatory address outside both gambling commissions and financial regulators. For Blockchain.com and Jump Trading, that opens a permissive EU base for European expansion at the exact moment ESMA has declared event contracts fall under its retail binary options ban.

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Gibraltar licenses prediction markets under bespoke gambling-backed framework

4d ago

Paribu becomes first centralized exchange to integrate Polymarket and Hyperliquid

16d ago

Japan's prediction markets use shopping vouchers to bypass gambling laws

18d ago

EU warns prediction markets off-limits to retail under MiFID II

12d ago

Global Top Stories

Congressional aides expect insider-trading ban on prediction markets to pass, while Canadians oppose legalization

For Kalshi and Polymarket, congressional staff expectations of a ban create advance warning of a compliance burden they cannot yet scope or time. Both platforms must now budget for surveillance systems that flag congressional and staff trades without knowing whether the bill mandates disclosure, account closure, or criminal penalties. The uncertainty is itself costly: legal teams and engineering cycles diverted to preemptive compliance are cycles not spent on product expansion or state preemption fights. Meanwhile, Canadian opposition closes a potential growth market where neither platform currently operates, removing a revenue hedge if U.S. sports contracts face federal restriction. The platforms face tightening margins on two borders at once.

12d ago

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Polymarket legal in my country?

It depends on where you are. Polymarket re-opened to US users in 2025 via QCEX. France, Singapore, and several other jurisdictions block access; the UK Gambling Commission treats prediction markets as gambling and licenses them under that frame.

Why is Polymarket blocked in France?

France’s gambling regulator (ANJ) ordered Polymarket to block French users in 2024, arguing the platform operates an unlicensed gambling product under French law. Polymarket complied with the geo-block.

Can Australians trade on Kalshi?

No — Kalshi is a CFTC-licensed US Designated Contract Market and its terms restrict access to US persons. Australian residents would need a US tax presence or a separate venue. Australian-licensed sports prediction operators exist domestically.

How does the UK regulate prediction markets?

The UK Gambling Commission treats most prediction-market products as gambling and licenses them under the Gambling Act 2005. UK users have access to licensed prediction-market operators like Smarkets but not to unlicensed offshore venues.

Does the EU have a unified prediction-markets framework?

No — gambling and financial-instrument regulation are member-state competencies, so each EU country handles prediction markets differently. The EU’s MiCA framework covers crypto-asset markets but does not specifically classify on-chain prediction markets.

What non-US prediction markets exist?

Smarkets (UK), several Australian sports prediction operators, and global on-chain venues like Augur successors and Manifold all run real volume. The International section covers product launches and regulatory actions across these venues.