Record WC Betting in U.S….

Sportsbooks and technology providers in the U.S. sports betting sector are reporting unprecedented betting activity during this year’s World Cup, with handle figures for the soccer tournament reaching record levels, even competing with other significant sporting events.

Caesars Sportsbook indicated that the 2026 World Cup generated a 30% increase in bets and a few percentage points more handle than the combined men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments, often referred to as March Madness.

Thanks to favorable time zones, an increase in matches, and the excitement surrounding the tournament hosted on North American soil, the 2026 World Cup saw significant growth compared to the 2022 event: DraftKings reported a staggering 650% rise in bets, while BetMGM indicated a 211% increase compared to four years prior.

“This World Cup will be remembered as the largest betting event in American history—akin to ten Super Bowls,” said Neil Walsh, Senior Vice President of Sportsbook at Hard Rock Bet, via email. “A sport once thought to lack American appeal has made history. The entire nation wanted to engage.”

The final, where Spain triumphed over Argentina with a score of 1-0, became the most-bet soccer match in the history of BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, and DraftKings regarding both the number of bets and handle. BetMGM noted the final surpassed every 2026 College Football Playoff game except for the championship, as well as any March Madness, NBA Finals, Stanley Cup Finals, and World Series games within the past year.

DraftKings reported accepting 2 million bets on just the final match, while Caesars handled nearly 65% more than the previous record for a single match, also during this year’s tournament.

The handle for the final was 4.4 times greater than the previous pretournament record set by Caesars.

Argentina, spearheaded by its iconic superstar Lionel Messi, drew significant attention from sportsbooks, with Messi being the most wagered player for props and futures. Argentina topped the ticket counts for many sportsbooks, while GeoComply noted it logged 7.6 million location checks for Argentina’s late-night match against Algeria, surpassing most primetime games.

The U.S. team also generated immense betting interest in both day-to-day and futures markets, becoming the largest liability for American sportsbooks before their elimination; DraftKings identified the USMNT as the tournament’s most bet-on team.

Looking ahead, reigning champion Spain is already favored to win the 2030 World Cup, which it will co-host, opening with +450 odds at DraftKings. Semifinalists France sits at +600, while England is next at +900, with co-host Portugal tied with England for third.

In contrast, 2026 runner-up Argentina is tied for the sixth-best odds at 11-1, while the 2030 co-host Morocco has longer odds at 35-1. The United States and Mexico sit at 80-1 respectively.