Council of Europe urges FIFA talks on prediction-market risks

Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset called on FIFA to begin talks on an integrity framework for the 2030 World Cup, linking bets on individual player actions and FIFA’s prediction-market sponsorship to an increased risk of match manipulation. The appeal was published on the day of the World Cup final.

Berset wrote that “the next crisis has already begun” and described the threat as having “two names: money and power.” He proposed a “third half” of talks between FIFA and the Council of Europe to develop a cross-border framework ahead of the 2030 tournament. The proposal is an initiative by the secretary general and is not a binding decision by the Council’s 46 member states.

The main concern is markets that let gamblers stake money on single events such as cards, corners, passes or other moments a single player can produce. Berset argued these products create an “open door to fraud” because one participant can influence outcomes in those markets without changing the match score.

FIFA named blockchain-backed ADI Predictstreet as its first official prediction-market partner in April under a multi-year agreement. The platform used official FIFA data to offer markets on match results, tournament statistics, standout players and specific match moments, and it hosted the free-to-play bracket challenge. After the announcement, ADI Predictstreet launched a real-money platform in Gibraltar, reached U.S. users through Fanatics Markets, and a broadcaster added a separate free-to-play experience tied to World Cup coverage.

FIFA’s public statement described a “comprehensive integrity monitoring framework” for the partnership that includes real-time monitoring of suspicious trading and structured systems for sharing and reporting information to protect fairness and transparency. Berset did not allege that manipulation had occurred on the platform or point to a suspicious trade; his remarks questioned whether monitoring and reporting are sufficient when markets allow bets on events an individual player can produce.

European gambling regulators issued a coordinated notice before the tournament listing risks such as unauthorized gambling, weak age controls, money laundering and threats to sports integrity. The Council of Europe published a July 13 statement identifying so-called negative bets as particularly vulnerable because a single action can decide the market without affecting the match result.

FIFA and the Council of Europe have had a formal cooperation agreement since 2018 covering integrity, good governance and operational coordination at major sporting events. The Council has previously developed binding conventions on stadium safety, anti-doping and competition manipulation, and Berset pointed to that history as the model for the proposed 2030 framework.

No timetable, agreed process or new rules have been announced following the secretary general’s intervention. Berset urged FIFA to start international talks aimed at preventing manipulation risks tied to emerging betting products before the next World Cup.