May 21, 2026 / 6:00 AM EDT / CBS News
When the World Cup begins June 11 across 16 cities in Canada, Mexico and the U.S., it’s expected to be one of the largest sports gambling events in U.S. history. Bookies.com projects Americans will wager $3.1 billion through legal online sports books, while prediction markets such as Kalshi and Polymarket could handle another $2.4 billion.
“Prediction markets that have been around for a long time, but they didn’t start taking sports trades until last year,” said Bill Speros, a sports-betting analyst for Bookies.com. “So you’re going to see Kalshi and Polymarket probably do a significant number on this.”
By comparison, Americans legally bet about $1.8 billion on the 2022 World Cup in Qatar — roughly the same amount wagered on the most recent Super Bowl. A recent PwC survey found 58% of Americans plan to bet on this World Cup, whether through online sportsbooks, prediction markets, fantasy contests or informal wagers; about one-third of those intend to risk at least $250. PwC based its findings on a poll of more than 2,000 adults in April.
Several factors are expected to boost betting this year. The tournament has expanded to 48 teams (up from 32) and will feature 104 matches, increasing betting opportunities. More games will be played in North American prime time, which BetMGM public relations executive John Ewing said makes it easier for fans to watch and wager live. “That will be easier for fans to watch and wager during the games,” he said, noting the time difference in Qatar in 2022 made betting harder for U.S. viewers. He added that a U.S. team advancing past the group stage would likely drive even more action because many bettors back their home team.
Legality and market expansion also matter. Online sports betting is legal in dozens of states, and seven states have approved sports betting since the 2022 World Cup. Some states are moving to capture more revenue: New Jersey lawmakers introduced a bill to add a 10% surcharge on World Cup wagers in jurisdictions hosting matches.
With broader access, more prime-time matchups in host countries, and new types of venues for wagers, industry analysts expect this World Cup to generate significantly more betting activity than previous tournaments and potentially surpass major single-game events like the Super Bowl in total dollars wagered.
Edited by Alain Sherter