The Fifa Men's World Cup is set to become the biggest betting event in history, with more than $50bn (£37.4bn) in wagers expected to be placed globally — a sharp rise from the $35bn bet during the 2022 tournament in Qatar. Financial services firm Macquarie forecasts around $500m per match will be staked over the six-week schedule.
Macquarie analyst Chad Benyon said the surge is primarily driven by the expansion of the tournament from 32 to 48 teams, meaning more than 100 matches compared with 64 in 2022. Favourable time zones in hosts the US, Canada and Mexico will also boost viewership in Europe, Latin America and Africa, fuelling demand. Another key factor is the growing US sports betting market: around 65% of the US population can now gamble on sports, up from 40% in 2022, making this the first World Cup on which a majority of Americans can place bets.
“World Cup expected to be biggest betting event ever with $50bn wagers, sparking warnings over addiction and black market ads.”
But the bonanza has triggered warnings from gambling awareness groups. Les Bernal, national director of Stop Predatory Gambling, said "hundreds of thousands of people across the world, especially young men, will suffer life-changing debt and financial distress" because of betting during the tournament. "99 out of 100 sports bettors lose money in the long-term," Bernal added. "The business model for commercialised sport gambling operators is completely based upon the people who have been turned into addicted gamblers, an addiction that causes victims to die by suicide at a rate unlike any other." He called on politicians globally to act to prevent consumers being "fleeced".
UK-based reform campaigner Matt Zarb-Cousin warned that punters betting on the World Cup will be "cross-promoted more addictive casino content". A National Centre for Social Research report found that in the UK, 79% of gambling company winnings came from the top 10% of spenders — those who wagered at least £5,639 in a year.
Meanwhile, the UK's Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) — which represents regulated betting companies — has urged major tech platforms to crack down on illegal black market adverts ahead of the tournament. In an open letter, BGC chief executive Grainne Hurst warned that unlicensed operators are targeting UK consumers, undermining the protections offered by regulated firms. The BGC said the UK has "some of the strongest gambling regulations and consumer protections in the world, including age…" though the full statement was cut off in the source.
Benyon cautioned that the World Cup could be a "flash in the pan" for betting giants if they fail to convert one-off punters into "repeat, multi-sport bettors", adding that those with casino platforms stand to benefit most from the surge.