20.5 million Americans plan to bet a total of $1.8 billion on the FIFA World Cup, which starts this Sunday, according to the inaugural survey by the American Gaming Association (AGA) on World Cup betting.
Unlike other major sporting events in the country, such as the Super Bowl and March Madness, which have more “sophisticated” betting, the vast majority of World Cup bettors (72%) plan to make traditional bets online, with a sportsbook or at a physical location.
Of the World Cup bettors in the U.S.:
• 9.8 million (48%) plan to place an online bet.
• 6.0 million (29%) plan to make a casual bet with a friend.
• 4.7 million (23%) plan to place a bet at a physical casino.
• 4.1 million (20%) plan to bet with a bookmaker.
• 3.5 million (17%) plan to bet as part of a paid pool.
The survey also showed that the majority (78%) of World Cup bettors say it is important to place bets legally.
“As the first World Cup with widespread availability of legal sports betting, this will certainly be the most bet-on soccer event of all time in the U.S.,” said AGA Senior Vice President Casey Clark. “With more than half of Americans having access to legal betting options in their home market, legal sports betting will deepen American fans’ engagement in the world’s most-watched sporting event.”
Additional survey results include:
• Three in ten (29%) Americans planning to watch the World Cup intend to bet on the tournament;
• Gen Z (11%) and Millennials (14%) are more interested in betting on the World Cup than Gen X (8%) and Baby Boomers (2%);
• If they received $50 to bet, most Americans would put their money on the United States (24%) to win the World Cup, followed by Brazil (19%), Argentina (17%), and Germany (10%).
“With the start of the World Cup, anyone entering the action should have a game plan for betting responsibly. This means setting a budget, keeping it fun, learning the odds, and playing with legal and regulated operators,” Clark added.