The 2026 World Cup, which starts next Thursday (11), has the potential to become the biggest event in history in the online betting market.
According to an analysis by consultancy H2 Gambling Capital, the projection is that the global public will spend around 297 billion reais on betting on the 2026 World Cup.
The amount represents a 71% jump compared to data from the Qatar tournament in 2022.
This large financial flow has already put several international authorities on high alert given the serious risks associated with gambling.
How betting on the 2026 World Cup affects the public in France
The newspaper Le Parisien highlighted that the unprecedented size of the World Cup attracts a financial volume never seen before.
With the format bringing together 48 nations in three countries, the French National Gaming Authority (ANJ) warned that the French should “bet record amounts”.
The body’s expectations project that the sector will generate up to 7 billion reais in French territory alone.
A survey commissioned by the agency revealed that 57% of citizens intend to follow the matches and 41% intend to make at least one financial attempt.
In this way, adherence reaches an impressive 52% among young people aged 18 to 34.
Expectations in new betting trend
Market data reveals a change in consumer behavior, with a strong increase in demand for “bet builders” (personalized bets).
This modality, very popular among young people, allows specific numbers to be combined on a single ticket, such as the number of goals, passes, tackles and assists, going far beyond the final score.
In global favoritism statistics, Argentina, France and England lead the volume of guesses, with the English trying to end a six-decade streak without titles.
For artillery, the data mainly highlights Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland, in addition to the unusual presence of New Zealander Ben Waine among the ten most bet names.
Even though the American West Coast time zone is challenging for the European public, the volume of South American bettors guarantees billion-dollar projections for the competition.
