An estimated 20.5 million American adults (8%) will be betting a grand total of $1.8 billion on this year’s FIFA World Cup™, according to a survey on World Cup wagering, conducted by the American Gaming Association (AGA). 72% of those bettors plan to wager either online, with a bookie or at a land-based sportsbook.
Here’s a breakdown of the figures:
- 9.8 million (48%) will place bets online.
- 6.0 million (29%) will place casual bets with friends.
- 4.7 million (23%) will place bets at a land-based casino sportsbook.
- 4.1 million (20%) will place bets with a bookie.
- 3.5 million (17%) will place bets as part of a paid pool or fantasy contest.
The AGA also learned that 78% of World Cup bettors see it prudent to place their bets legally.
“As the first World Cup with widespread availability of legal sports betting, this will certainly be the most bet-upon soccer event ever in the U.S.,” said Casey Clark, the AGA’s Senior Vice President. “With more than half of all American adults having access to legal betting options in their home market, legal sports betting will deepen American fan engagement in the most-watched sporting event in the world.”
Additional results from the survey include:
- Three in 10 (29%) American adults who plan to watch the World Cup intend to wager on the tournament.
- Gen Z (11%) and Millennial (14%) adults are more interested in betting on the World Cup than Gen X (8%) and Baby Boomers (2%).
- If they were given $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%).
“As the World Cup kicks off, anyone getting in on the action should have a game plan to bet responsibly. That means setting a budget, keeping it fun, learning the odds and playing with legal, regulated operators,” Said Casey Clark.
The survey was conducted between Nov. 3-5, 2022, among 2,213 adults – its data were weighted to approximate a target sample of adults based on age, race/ethnicity, gender, educational attainment and region – with a margin of error amounting to +/-2 percent and greater among subgroups.