FIFA's official prediction market, ADI Predictstreet, has reportedly gotten off to a rocky start at the World Cup, with significantly lower trading volumes compared to established prediction market giants like Polymarket and Kalshi. For instance, ADI Predictstreet has seen only about $57,000 traded on the tournament winner, while Polymarket has seen close to $3 billion and Kalshi around $500 million for the same market. Individual market activity on ADI Predictstreet is also minimal, with as little as $13 to $17 traded on some matches, in stark contrast to Kalshi's total trading volume for the World Cup estimated between $12 billion and $13 billion by Bank of America.
Questions have been raised about FIFA's choice of partner, an obscure Abu Dhabi-based blockchain project that was only licensed in Gibraltar and had just launched its social media presence weeks before the FIFA partnership announcement. Operated by an entity connected to the Abu Dhabi royal family and chaired by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al Nahyan, the deal strengthens FIFA's financial ties to the UAE. The company's logo is prominently displayed throughout the World Cup, including pitch-side and in player interviews, yet its market adoption remains low.
Despite announcing partnerships with Fanatics, Matchbook, and DAZN to expand access, ADI Predictstreet's presence in the U.S. through the Fanatics deal is purely promotional, with prediction markets on Fanatics' platform actually provided by Crypto.com. Furthermore, some markets on ADI Predictstreet, such as the Group A winner, remained open even after the result was finalized, unlike on Kalshi and Polymarket. Germany is also investigating whether ADI Predictstreet's marketing violates its illegal gambling laws.
