The 2026 FIFA World Cup could generate up to $4.33bn in legal online sports betting handle in the US, according to projections from Eilers & Krejcik Gaming.
EKG forecast US betting handle for the tournament of between $2.32bn and $4.33bn, depending partly on how far the US men’s national team progresses. The upper end of the estimate would represent a significant increase on the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when EKG estimated $900m to $1bn was wagered through legal US sportsbooks.
The 2026 tournament begins on June 11th at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City and concludes on July 19th at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The expanded format will feature 48 teams and 104 matches, compared with 32 teams and 64 matches in 2022. Seventy-eight matches will be played in the US.
The larger tournament structure, home-market interest and wider legal sports betting footprint are expected to support the increase in betting activity. EKG said the range reflects the potential upside if the US team advances into the knockout stages.
DraftKings and FanDuel are projected to account for around 70% of US World Cup betting handle, with DraftKings estimated at around $1.02bn and FanDuel at around $945m. Fanatics and Hard Rock are also expected to benefit from increased tournament betting activity.
The projections sit within a wider global growth picture. H2 Gambling Capital estimates $60bn will be wagered on the 2026 World Cup through legal sportsbooks, up 71% on its 2022 estimate. H2 say that $5.7bn of this total is expected to come from the three host nations, with the US forecast at $2.9bn, Mexico at $2.5bn and Canada at $300m.
For operators, the tournament will provide a major acquisition and engagement opportunity across live betting, player props, same-game parlays and in-play markets. It will also test compliance, advertising controls and responsible gambling systems during one of the largest betting events in the global sports calendar.
