FIFA World Cup Prediction Market Partner Faces Questions Over Abu Dhabi Royal Ties
ADI Predictstreet denied royal family links, but corporate filings tie it to IHC, chaired by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, an investigation found.
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited by the ON360 newsroom.
A prediction markets company that served as the official partner of the FIFA World Cup 2026 has faced pointed questions over its ownership links to Abu Dhabi’s royal family, after its public relations firm initially denied any such connection, according to an investigation by Gambling Insider.
ADI Predictstreet, incorporated on March 17, 2026, secured a Gibraltar gambling licence just nine days after formation — an unusually fast turnaround the outlet says is unprecedented for any newly formed operator. The company went on to hold pitch-side advertising at the World Cup and remains in a multi-year partnership with FIFA, which ran the tournament through July 19.
PR firm’s denial contradicted by filings
New York-based PR firm Teneo, retained by ADI Predictstreet, told Gambling Insider in an emailed statement that the company is “a Gibraltar-licensed and regulated prediction market platform” with “no involvement of any member of any Royal Family,” adding it is built on ADI Chain’s infrastructure, which is registered with the Abu Dhabi Global Market.
Gambling Insider says its research, based on documents obtained from Companies House Gibraltar, found otherwise. Predict Street Limited, the licensed operator behind the ADI Predictstreet brand, is a subsidiary of Finstreet, which is in turn a subsidiary of International Holding Company (IHC) — a publicly listed Abu Dhabi conglomerate with a market capitalization of roughly $238 billion.
IHC is chaired by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family who also chairs the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the UAE’s largest sovereign wealth funds, and serves as the UAE’s National Security Advisor. The royal family controls IHC through its Royal Group holding.
Directors linked to Gibraltar’s legal and political establishment
According to the filings, Predict Street Limited’s directors are Akshay Kumar Mahajan, Sunidhi Pasan and Andrew Peter Montegriffo. Mahajan and Pasan are both UAE residents and co-founders of Finstreet, with Pasan serving as the firm’s chief executive, based on their LinkedIn profiles.
Montegriffo, a Gibraltar-based barrister, is a partner in the gaming and fintech practice at Hassans, Gibraltar’s largest law firm. Gambling Insider notes Hassans’ close ties to the territory’s government, including current and former partners Fabian Picardo, Gibraltar’s Chief Minister since 2011, Health Minister Gemma Arias-Vasquez, and Finance Minister Nigel Feetham KC, who the outlet says expedited Predict Street’s licence.
Gibraltar’s Gambling Commissioner lists Predict Street Ltd as one of only two entities holding a “Betting Intermediary (B2C)” designation among 57 licensed operators as of July 20, 2026. The outlet reports that a Norwegian investigative outlet, Josimar, had separately sought the same corporate formation documents before Gambling Insider’s request.
Why it matters for a fast-growing sector
Prediction markets have expanded rapidly worldwide over the past year, drawing scrutiny from regulators in the United States and elsewhere over licensing, ownership transparency and marketing practices. The questions raised about ADI Predictstreet’s speedy Gibraltar licensing and its links to a state-linked conglomerate add to broader debate about oversight in a sector that straddles gambling and financial derivatives regulation.
For Canadian readers, the episode is a reminder that as prediction markets seek global partnerships — including with major sports properties — questions of corporate ownership and licensing speed remain live issues for regulators everywhere, including in jurisdictions like Ontario where iGaming Ontario and the AGCO maintain strict operator vetting standards. Consumers concerned about their own gambling habits can access free supports such as ConnexOntario for confidential help.
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