Germany’s national gambling regulator, the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL), has launched an investigation into ADI Predictstreet, an Abu Dhabi-backed prediction market operator. The probe follows the company’s pitchside advertising during the football World Cup, despite lacking a German licence.
GGL governs gambling across the country’s federal states. It issues cease-and-desist orders, imposes sanctions on payment processing and hosting firms, and blocks access to unlicenced platforms.
Licence status and FIFA partnership
According to the German newspaper RND, ADI Predictstreet appeared prominently in World Cup broadcasts. The company holds a gambling intermediary licence in Gibraltar and was named FIFA’s official prediction market partner for the 2026 World Cup, but it is not authorised to operate in the country.
Germany’s framework prioritises youth protection and addiction prevention, with advertising restrictions designed to limit exposure during high-profile events such as the World Cup. For one, there are mandatory deposit and betting limits. Licenced operators must cap spending to reduce addiction risks. Players, including young adults, can block themselves from all licenced platforms.
Possible breach of advertising rules
Germany has a history of strict enforcement against unlicenced operators. Past rulings show regulators and courts cracking down on cross-border ads, reinforcing why ADI Predictstreet’s visibility is now under scrutiny. Advertising gambling services from unlicenced providers is banned, according to German law. The GGL argues that World Cup placements may fall under this ban.
Access for German residents
Germany’s GlüStV 2008 introduced a broad prohibition on online gambling, allowing only state-run lotteries. Yet private operators licenced abroad, like those in Malta, Gibraltar, and Cyprus, continued advertising to German players, creating ongoing legal tension.
In 2006, the European Court of Justice’s Placaniaca ruling cautioned that national monopolies must remain clear and consistent, eroding Germany’s restrictive model.
The current investigation also examines whether German residents can access ADI Predictstreet’s products online, which would constitute an unlicenced offering. Past rulings confirm that Germany penalises unlicenced advertising even when operators hold EU licences elsewhere.
For instance, in 2024, the Higher Administrative Court of Saxony-Anhalt upheld GGL’s decision to ban a German streamer living abroad from promoting unlicenced online gambling via platforms like Kick. The court ruled that because the content was in German and targeted German audiences, national law still applied.
GGL highlighted that streaming creates emotional engagement and normalises gambling, making it especially harmful for underage viewers. If precedent holds, GGL could impose fines, advertising bans, or platform blocking against ADI Predictstreet.
Company response
Globally, prediction markets shape part of a broader online gambling and fintech sector worth billions of euros. Platforms like ADI Predictstreet attract both institutional investors and retail participants, positioning themselves as tools for forecasting and speculation.
By partnering with FIFA for the 2026 World Cup, ADI Predictstreet gained access to one of the most lucrative advertising stages in global sports. Sponsorship deals in football can reach hundreds of millions of euros, placing prediction markets alongside traditional betting operators in the advertising arena. But ADI Predicstreet insists its strategy was not aimed at German consumers.
Broader context
Germany mirrors Europe’s coordinated clampdown on gambling promotion. While FIFA has partnered with ADI Predictstreet, it highlights the strain between global sponsorship deals and national regulatory compliance. Operators licenced abroad like in Gibraltar face enforcement risks when advertising in fully regulated markets like Germany.
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