The founders of Kalshi and Polymarket, Tarek Mansour and Shayne Coplan, have spoken out in support of a new venture capital firm that is focused on companies serving the...
Malta exploring framework to regulate prediction markets
Malta’s Economy Minister Silvio Schembri spoke at the launch of Blockchain.com’s new Malta offices on March 25, 2026, during which he stated that the country was looking into the field of prediction markets.
In Europe, prediction markets are mostly treated as illegal gambling or unlicensed financial instruments, as there is no clear framework yet. If the plans move forward, Malta could become the first European market to create a specific framework for regulating prediction markets.
Minister Schembri commented:
“We are actively exploring the emerging field of prediction markets, an area experiencing rapid global momentum, which presents significant opportunities for innovation. Any changes to legislation would need to be supported by a clear, forward-looking legislative framework that enables it to develop responsibly and at scale.”
Schembri also highlighted the importance of user trust in the growing gambling industry.
He added:
“We recognized early on that users need to feel safe if this industry is going to grow, which means it needs to uphold the highest standards of transparency and compliance.”
Schembri stated that the government believes that prediction markets have huge potential, but in order for the industry to grow, compliance and transparency are a must.
The prediction markets sector recorded strong growth in 2025, with Kalshi and Polymarket generating a combined handling volume of $40 billion.
On March 23, 2026, two U.S. Senators moved to introduce a new bill called "The Prediction Markets Are Gambling Act”, which would ban prediction market operators from offering...
