The 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, opening on June 11, will be the largest in history and is set to become the biggest betting event in recent years in sports gambling development. Based on two core data reports from the SBC Summit Americas and the Optimove 2026 EU World Cup Betting Intentions Report, we have conducted a predictive analysis on the number of new bettors worldwide.
🔴Focus on the potential of first-time bettors in Europe, the USA, and emerging markets globally. The SBC report indicates that 62% of surveyed fans plan to bet during the World Cup, with 29% being first-time bettors, bringing a large number of ordinary fans into the gambling market for the first time, especially in the Americas (the host region of the World Cup).
The Optimove EU report points out that among European bettors planning to bet, 92% have previous World Cup betting experience, with only 8% participating for the first time.
Using the 2022 World Cup as a key reference, about 20 million people in the USA bet at that time, and there was significant betting growth in multiple Latin American countries, such as Colombia where the daily betting amount increased by 84%.
🏆Global scope: New bettors are expected to be between 35 and 55 million
The global football population has already exceeded 3.5 billion, with the World Cup reaching over 6 billion viewers in total. It is estimated that 5-8% of the global adult population plans to participate in betting, with the total number of bettors expected to reach 300 million.
🔴The global average rate of first-time betting is about 15-25%, thus the predicted number of new global bettors is expected to be between 35 and 55 million.
This wave of new bettors is mainly driven by the popularity of mobile betting and the participation of younger groups. New users are expected to contribute significantly to the global gambling market's short-term transaction volume, potentially reaching a total betting amount of 150-200 billion USD, with new contributions being a significant driving force.
🏆Focus in Europe is on retention and deepening
According to Optimove data, only 8% of European bettors planning to bet are first-timers, with 92% having previous experience, more than half of whom participated in the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
🔴However, Europe has about 150-200 million active or potential sports betting users, with a planned betting rate of 75%, the number of new bettors is also expected to be between 8 and 15 million.
Due to the highly mature European market, this World Cup will serve more as a period of reinforcement for players, rather than a large-scale new user acquisition window. Therefore, operators should focus on retention strategies rather than relying on large welcome bonuses to attract new users, and European users still have an 80% betting continuation rate even after their supported teams are eliminated, making retention strategies more beneficial for platforms.
🏆The USA, one of the markets with the greatest potential
The USA is one of the biggest highlights of the 2026 World Cup betting, with the number of legal states having increased to over 38, and the local hosting has already made football one of the most popular sports in the region.
🔴In 2022, about 20 million people in the USA bet, and the total number of bettors in 2026 is expected to reach 40-60 million, with about 12-20 million being new bettors. This growth is due to a 29% rate of first-time betting, high participation among young fans, and the convenience of mobile and real-time betting.
🏆Emerging markets with high growth and high rates of first-time betting
In the Americas, apart from the USA, the passion for football is also extremely high in Latin America, with 72% of the population maintaining an active interest in football, and multiple countries' new gambling regulatory policies further unlocking market potential.
Brazil has 66% of fans planning to bet, Mexico 68% with 26% being first-time bettors, Peru as high as 85%, and Colombia has a history of significant betting surges.
In Southeast Asia, the Philippines, as an important online gambling market in the region, is expected to have over 5 million active betting users during the World Cup; Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia, with their younger populations, are also among the fastest-growing markets, with a combined new bettor count expected to reach 8-12 million, with Vietnam and Indonesia's first-time betting rates possibly exceeding 25%.
🔴It is expected that Latin America and other emerging Asian markets will contribute over 15-25 million new bettors, with the highest first-time betting rates in emerging markets (over 20-30%).
This World Cup's influx of new users will act as a catalyst for short-term industry growth, with nearly 30% first-time betting rates potentially paired with stronger platform conversion strategies, allowing operators to transform short-term traffic into future advantages.
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