TLDR Online betting searches in Argentina rose 350% during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to a new study. Hydration breaks, new to this World Cup, triggered sharp spikes in betting-related searches. Searches during the Argentina vs. England match jumped 4,850%. Operators who advertised during hydration breaks saw far bigger gains in search interest than those who didn’t. After the tournament ended, interest shifted from sports betting to online casino games like roulette and slots.
Online betting searches in Argentina rose 350% during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a new study has found. The research focused on matches involving the Argentine national team.
The study came from Walter Martello, Deputy Ombudsman of the Province of Buenos Aires. It used data from the Observatory on Addictions and Problematic Behaviors, part of the Buenos Aires Ombudsman’s Office.
Researchers relied on Google Trends to track search interest. That tool measures how often people search certain terms, using a scale of 0 to 100.
Hydration Breaks Became Key Moments for Betting Activity
Hydration breaks were new to this World Cup. The study found these breaks caused sharp jumps in betting-related searches.
Betting companies ran ads during these breaks throughout Argentina’s matches. That advertising appears to line up with the search spikes.
The biggest jump came during the Argentina vs. England match. Betting searches rose 4,850% during that game.
Other matches showed smaller but still large increases. Searches rose 600% during the Algeria match, 2,250% against Cape Verde, and 3,600% against Egypt.
A separate study from consultancy Novarum backed up these findings. It also tracked Google search data during Argentina’s World Cup games.
Advertising Timing Linked to Search Increases
Novarum’s report found that betting companies who advertised during hydration breaks saw bigger jumps in search interest. Companies that skipped that ad slot