Polymarket forms partnership with OneFootball

(AsiaGameHub) –   Prediction platform Polymarket has kept up its marketing blitz leading up to the World Cup, with its latest move being a collaboration with football media firm OneFootball.

This partnership represents a major distribution opportunity in mainstream sports media for the New York-headquartered business, which has grown rapidly by enabling users to trade on the outcomes of real-world events—including politics, economics, and sports.

The announcement comes as prediction markets continue to draw increasing attention from sports fans and media companies, though regulatory scrutiny remains intense in several jurisdictions.

OneFootball noted that Polymarket experiences will only be introduced in eligible markets and in compliance with local laws and platform requirements.

Polymarket cannot operate in OneFootball’s home country

A key caveat of the partnership is that Polymarket is unable to operate in Germany—the nation where OneFootball is based.

Polymarket is currently regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in the U.S., but many jurisdictions, including Germany, have banned prediction market platforms from operating unless they meet the same regulatory standards as gambling operators.

This has led Polymarket and its prediction market peer Kalshi to face challenges outside the U.S., with the latest legal action against the companies coming from Spain.

La Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ), Spain’s gambling regulator, launched legal proceedings against the firms last week for operating without the required licenses, joining a long list of European jurisdictions that have taken similar steps.

However, this has not stopped Polymarket from securing partnerships with European-focused businesses.

Last month, it signed a multi-year deal with Serie A USA to become the Italian league’s official and exclusive prediction market partner in the U.S. This mirrored a similar agreement made in April with LALIGA North America.

It will be interesting to see if regulators in Germany, Italy, or Spain investigate these partnerships, given the situation in March involving Eden Hazard’s collaboration with Stake.

The Belgian Gambling Commission, Kansspelcommissie (KSC), reportedly launched an investigation into that deal to ensure it was not targeting Belgian players, as Stake does not hold a license in the jurisdiction.

Hazard could face legal prosecution, including an administrative fine potentially reaching €700,000 (£605,000) if the deal is deemed to target Belgian consumers.

SBC News has not observed any similar action taken against Polymarket for the mentioned dealings so far. The company often faces accusations of running an illegal gambling platform, though—with the Spanish regulator being the latest to pursue action against it.

OneFootball to expand its Web3 strategy

The rollout is expected to align with a busy summer football schedule, giving both companies an opportunity to test how prediction-based engagement resonates with large-scale football audiences.

For OneFootball, this marks its most significant Web3 collaboration to date and brings prediction-market experiences directly into its global football ecosystem.

The agreement will allow eligible OneFootball users to access Polymarket prediction markets linked to football matches, transfer activity, and major tournament outcomes.

The integration is set to appear across match centers, editorial content, and personalized fan journeys, with future development potentially extending to live prediction widgets, odds-driven content, and interactive experiences embedded in football broadcasts.

It builds on the recent launch of OneFootball Credits ($OFC), further expanding the company’s strategy to incorporate blockchain-based products and fan participation tools into its platform.

OneFootball said the collaboration could eventually reach its network of over 645 million monthly football fans across owned media channels, social platforms, and partner distribution networks.

“For years, OneFootball has focused on one mission: making football more accessible, engaging, and relevant for fans everywhere,” said OneFootball’s Chief Executive Officer, Patrick Fischer.

“Today, fan expectations are changing faster than ever. They don’t just consume content—they want to participate, interact, and be closer to the moments that matter. That’s why I’m particularly excited about our new partnership with Polymarket.”

“By bringing prediction experiences into the OneFootball ecosystem, we’re taking another step toward a more interactive future for football fans—one where content, community, and participation come together in a seamless experience.”

“A huge thank you to the teams at Polymarket and OneFootball for making this happen.”