Today marks the start of the much-anticipated FIFA World Cup 2026, and according to experts, the event will become the biggest betting event of all time. According to estimates, the soccer tournament would generate more than $50 billion in wagers globally.
What Will Drive the High Betting Activity?
Financial services firm Macquarie forecasts that bettors will wager approximately $500 million on each match during the tournament. In total, the expected betting volume of $50 billion represents a substantial increase from the $35 billion wagered during the previous 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Interestingly, the US will account for less than 10% of those bets, according to previous estimates, despite the country being one of the hosts of the soccer tournament.
According to Macquarie analyst Chad Benyon, the anticipated rise in gambling revenue is largely being driven by the expansion of this year’s tournament from 32 to 48 teams. This increase means the competition will feature more than 100 matches across its six-week schedule, significantly more than the 64 games played during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Benyon also pointed out that the United States, Canada, and Mexico, which are the three host nations of the tournament, offer favorable time zones that are expected to attract larger global audiences. Viewers, particularly in Europe, Latin America, and Africa, which traditionally host significant numbers of soccer fans, are situated in convenient time zones for watching the event.
Additionally, the continued growth of the US sports betting market is expected to lead to higher wagering volumes. Approximately 65% of Americans can now legally bet on sports, compared with about 40% in 2022. As a result, this will be the first World Cup during which most of the US population has access to legal sports betting.
Some Warn About the Dangers of Betting
Gambling awareness organizations have cautioned that the vast majority of bettors lose money over the long term and warned that World Cup wagering could encourage some participants to engage in more addictive forms of gambling. Les Bernal, national director of Stop Predatory Gambling, warned that gambling activity surrounding the World Cup could leave hundreds of thousands of people across the world facing severe debt and financial hardship.
According to Bernal, 99 out of 100 sports bettors lose money in the long term. He said that the commercial sports betting industry relies heavily on individuals who develop gambling addictions. Bernal added that such addiction can have devastating consequences, including a heightened risk of suicide among those affected.
Meanwhile, UK gambling reform advocate Matt Zarb-Cousin warned that FIFA bettors could be exposed to marketing that steers them toward more addictive casino gambling products through cross-promotion. He also cited research from the National Centre for Social Research, which found that in the UK, 79% of gambling industry revenue was generated by the highest-spending 10% of customers. These are the ones who wagered at least approximately $7,600 per year.
Interestingly, it does seem that the World Cup 2026 officials also recognize the potential dangers of gambling, as FIFA removed gambling sponsors from the names of the various stadiums that will host the tournament.