TLDR Macquarie estimates global 2026 FIFA World Cup betting volume at $50 billion The U.S. accounts for only about 5% of legal global betting volume during the tournament Per-match forecast stays at $500 million, similar to the 2022 World Cup Prediction markets are excluded from Macquarie’s forecast entirely Flutter Entertainment, Super Group, and Rush Street Interactive are seen as best placed to benefit
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is on track to be the biggest betting event in history. Investment bank Macquarie has put global wagering volume at $50 billion for the tournament. But the U.S., despite its growing sports betting market, will play a smaller role than many might expect.
Macquarie estimates the U.S. will represent only around 5% of legal global betting volume during the World Cup. That works out to roughly $2.5 billion of the total.
Chad Beynon, Senior Gaming, Lodging and Theatres Analyst at Macquarie, explained why U.S. growth doesn’t move the needle much on the global figure.
“Even if we assumed 40% growth in the US, it would be quite insignificant,” he said.
Per-Match Forecast Holds Steady at $500 Million
Macquarie’s per-match betting forecast of around $500 million is in line with what was seen at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. This is despite the fact that the 2026 tournament is being hosted in North America and legal sports betting has expanded widely in the U.S. since then.
Beynon also pointed out that the expanded tournament format could spread wagering more thinly across matches. More games being played means betting volume per match could be lower than in a smaller tournament.
The $50 billion global figure is based on legal sports betting activity only. It does not include offshore betting.
For context, Macquarie estimated close to $600 to $700 billion in