Optimove Study: World Cup 2026 Drove Betting Growth, Surge in First-Time Depositors

The FIFA World Cup drove substantial growth in active sports bettors and first-time depositors across the Americas and Europe, according to a new report from Optimove Insights.

As industry experts predicted, the showpiece tournament was a major customer acquisition event for sportsbooks.

“World Cup 2026 gave sportsbook operators what every major event promises: a larger audience and a major wave of new depositors,” said Pini Yakuel, Founder and CEO of Optimove.

Global Betting Surge

The World Cup kicked off June 11 and ran through July 19, with 48 teams playing 104 matches across the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

Optimove said that across the full tournament, the number of bettors placing bets averaged 121% of the regular season baseline in the U.S., 136% in Europe, and 153% in Latin America (meaning that betting was 21%, 36%, and 53% higher than normal in those markets, respectively).

But it was among first-time depositors that sportsbooks saw a sizable jump. According to Optimove, first-time depositors reached 179% of baseline in the U.S., 194% in Europe, and 314% in Latin America (79%, 94%, and 214% more than normal, respectively).

New Players Arrive

The study was based on aggregated data from leading sportsbooks across the U.S., Europe, and Latin America, covering an average of approximately 26 million active sports bettors per month between April and July 2026.

“The gaming world has been planning this for years,” sports betting analyst Phill Gray told Casino.org in June. “It’s going to be one of the biggest betting events ever—think half a dozen Super Bowls’ worth of revenues in a single month.”

Major sportsbooks like DraftKings and FanDuel reported substantial betting volume from the tournament. 

Final Drives Growth

As DraftKings Director of Race & Sports Operations Johnny Avello told Casino.org on July 1: “This soccer tournament has been special, I tell you. The handle has been way over expectations—I think it’s going to be bigger than March Madness.”

CBS Sports reported that DraftKings processed 2 million bets on the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, making it the most bet-on soccer match in the operator’s history. Overall betting volume for the 2026 tournament on DraftKings soared by 650% compared to 2022.

Regional behavior varied by stage, according to Optimove. U.S. activity followed an event-driven pattern, dipping below baseline levels during the semifinals before surging to its peak during the final.

Retention Comes Next

The final drove a massive acquisition wave. First-time depositors jumped from 139% to 257% of baseline in the U.S., while Europe saw a rise from 217% to 254%. Latin America experienced an even larger surge, leaping from 242% to 351%.

“But the data also shows the challenge,” said Optimove CEO Motti Yakuel. “More bettors do not automatically mean deeper engagement or higher long-term value. Operators now need to identify which customers are likely to become consistent, profitable players and which were only present for the event.”