Gaming Research Estimates $4.3 Billion Sports Betting Handle for 2026 World Cup

EKG research firm forecasts that the overall betting handle for the upcoming 2026 World Cup could reach $4.3 billion, with US sportsbooks poised to take $2.8 billion.

Charlotte Capewell

Last Updated: June 4, 2026 10:24 AM EDT • 2 minute read

Pictured: The FIFA World Cup Trophy during the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour, as we look at estimates of how much sports betting handle could be during the tournament. Photo by Caean Couto-Imagn Images

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The 2026 FIFA World Cup is expected to set a new benchmark for sports betting in the US, with analysts projecting a sharp rise from the 2022 tournament.

Gaming research firm Eilers & Krejcik Gaming (EKG) estimates that US bettors will stake about $2.82 billion on World Cup betting sites and mobile sportsbooks in its base forecast. That would be nearly three times the estimated $900 million to $1 billion wagered during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and it should be a busy time for the best sports betting sites.

The research firm's wider projection ranges from $2.32 billion to $4.33 billion. That total would represent between 1.3% and 2.4% of all projected US sports betting handle in 2026.

Several factors are expected to lift betting activity. The 2026 tournament will feature 48 teams instead of 32, resulting in 40 additional matches compared to the previous format. More games mean more pre-match markets, live betting opportunities, and futures options as players take advantage of the best sportsbook promos.

The tournament will also be staged across North America, with many matches in the US. Local kickoff times should make the event easier for casual bettors to follow than the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

The US men’s soccer team's performance may also affect wagering levels. The national team's best World Cup finish remains third place in 1930. Its last quarterfinal appearance came in 2002, when Germany ended its run. Current odds have the US around +6000 to win the tournament at the best World Cup betting sites.

EKG said that it also expects sportsbook operators DraftKings and FanDuel to dominate online handle, projecting roughly $1.02 billion for DraftKings and $945 million for FanDuel during the five-week event.

Fanatics solves ADI Predictstreet's US Problem with World Cup hub deal

The sheer scale of that projected activity helps explain why both traditional sportsbooks and newer prediction market apps are scrambling to secure a foothold before the opening whistle.

One of the more structurally complex deals to emerge ahead of the tournament involves Fanatics Markets and ADI Predictstreet, FIFA's official prediction market partner. FIFA named ADI Predictstreet to that role through a multi-year agreement in April 2026, but the company immediately ran into a significant obstacle.

ADI, which is owned by Abu Dhabi's royal family and licensed only in Gibraltar, has no regulatory clearance from the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission, meaning it cannot directly serve US users despite holding FIFA's official prediction market rights in the tournament's primary host country.

Fanatics Markets resolved that problem. On Crypto.com's exchange, Fanatics launched a co-branded World Cup Hub with ADI Predictstreet in late May, making the product available across 23 states and four territories, including major markets like California, Texas, and Florida, where traditional sports betting apps are not yet legal.

The hub layers prediction markets with tournament news, player statistics, and matchup context, giving it a more fan-guide feel than a typical exchange interface.

Written by:
Charlotte Capewell

Charlotte’s love for all things iGaming shines through in everything she writes. From sports betting and U.S. legislation to prediction markets and beyond, she blends sharp analysis with storytelling that makes even the most technical topics come alive. Always chasing the next big scoop, Charlotte keeps a close eye on industry news, eager to share her excitement and insights with readers, whether they’re industry veterans or newcomers discovering iGaming for the first time. When she’s not deep in gaming headlines, you’ll probably find her glued to the F1, cheering on her favorite team, Williams, and driver. Her dream? To be trackside at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, notebook in hand, of course.