• Prediction Markets

Gibraltar Becomes the First EU Regulator to Certify Prediction Markets

Quick Glance at the Facts

• Gibraltar published the Prediction Market Regulations 2026 on 13 July 2026, making it the first European jurisdiction with a standalone licensing framework for prediction markets.
• Minister Nigel Feetham confirmed on 11 June 2026 that Gibraltar’s Gambling Act 2025 came into force on 1 April 2026, replacing the Gambling Act 2005, per the Gibraltar Government.
• Two licensed prediction market operators already held Gibraltar licences before the formal framework was publicly announced, per iGaming Business.

Gibraltar published the Prediction Market Regulations 2026 on 13 July 2026, becoming the first European jurisdiction with a dedicated licensing framework for prediction markets, according to iGaming Business.

For operators and bettors who want to use a properly licensed prediction market product in Europe, this is the only framework of its kind on the continent right now.

What Gibraltar Changed and How It Happened

Minister Nigel Feetham confirmed on 11 June 2026 that Gibraltar’s Gambling Act 2025 came into force on 1 April 2026, according to the Gibraltar Government. That law replaced the Gambling Act 2005, which had governed Gibraltar’s gambling sector for two decades. The Gibraltar Parliament introduced the Gambling Bill 2025 on 26 June 2025 to repeal the older act and build a new regulatory structure from scratch, per Gibraltar’s legislative index at gibraltarlaws.gov.gi.

The Prediction Market Regulations 2026 followed on 13 July 2026. iGaming Business reported in July 2026 that Gibraltar had already granted two licences to prediction market operators before the formal framework was announced to the public, meaning the licensing process was running before the regulations were officially published.

The Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner, appointed under the Gambling Act 2025 per the Gibraltar Government’s published legislation, holds authority to ensure licensees comply with their licences and protect Gibraltar’s reputation as a regulated gambling jurisdiction. The Gibraltar Licensing Authority issues remote gambling licences, including those covering telephone and internet betting, as verified by the Gibraltar Government’s remote gambling page. The Prediction Market Regulations 2026 create a separate licensing category, so operators who already hold a remote gambling licence are not automatically covered, and must apply for a new license.

What Comes Next for Operators and Bettors

Gibraltar was ahead of every other European regulator when it comes to prediction markets. The regulations lay out rulings that are supposed to prevent “market manipulation, insider dealing or misuse of confidential information”, a problem that’s been plaguing US prediction markets for months.

The bigger question now is whether other European jurisdictions follow. No other European licensing body has created a standalone framework for prediction markets, but Gibraltar’s precedent may pressure other regulators, like Malta, to act.

How This Impacts Players

Gibraltar is currently the only European jurisdiction with a dedicated prediction market licensing framework. If you want to use a licensed prediction market product in Europe, that Gibraltar licence under the Prediction Market Regulations 2026 is the standard to check for.

Operators who do not hold one are not covered by this framework, regardless of what other Gibraltar-issued licences they carry. Bettors using prediction market products outside Gibraltar’s licensed operators are working without that regulatory coverage right now.

GamblingNerd Take

Gibraltar now has a real licensing category for prediction markets, and no other European regulator has matched it. Two operators were already licensed before the public announcement, which tells me this framework has been tested and ready to launch for some time, likely due to government and operator pressure alike.

The new regulations gives players a concrete standard to check operators against, and signals a coming rush of newly-licensed prediction products into the EU market.