Investment bank Macquarie has projected that the 2026 FIFA World Cup could generate a record $50bn in global betting activity.
Investment bank Macquarie has projected that the 2026 FIFA World Cup will generate record global betting activity and deliver a meaningful earnings boost to leading online gambling operators.
The tournament, hosted across the US, Canada and Mexico, is set to be the largest in World Cup history, featuring 48 teams and more than 100 matches across six weeks in June and July.
Macquarie said the expanded format – with around 60% more matches than the 2022 edition – combined with strong representation from key betting markets in Europe, Latin America, Africa and North America, should drive record global wagering activity.
The bank estimated global wagers on the 2022 World Cup exceeded $35bn at roughly $0.5bn per match.
For 2026, with 60% more matches on the schedule, Macquarie said total global wagers could exceed $50bn, with further upside from parlays and player props.
The financial benefit to operators, however, is expected to materialise in 2027 rather than during the tournament itself, with management teams across the sector treating the event primarily as a customer acquisition opportunity.
Based on historical tournament patterns, Macquarie forecast a 2-5% uplift to operator EBITDA in the following year, with variation depending on retention rates, cross-sell effectiveness into iCasino, and geographic exposure to football-focused markets.
US market a ‘high-variance outcome’
Flutter, Super Group and Rush Street Interactive were identified as the operators best positioned to benefit.
Flutter was highlighted for its 35% European exposure, while 88% of Super Group’s 2025 global revenue came from countries participating in the tournament. Rush Street was noted for its 20% Latin American exposure.
DraftKings was also flagged as a beneficiary given the more developed state of the US sports betting market, with around 65% of the American population now having legal access to betting compared to 40% at the time of the 2022 tournament.
Macquarie described the US market as a high-variance outcome, noting the ultimate financial impact would depend on converting World Cup bettors into repeat, multi-sport customers.
Sportradar and Genius Sports were also expected to benefit from increased tournament-related trading volumes and media partnership activity.
Operators with strong international footprints and integrated casino offerings were identified as likely to see the greatest benefit from the tournament.