Football: FIFA World Cup and Betting
By Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw
It has been reported that the FIFA Men's World Cup is expected to be the biggest betting sports event ever, with over US$50 billion (around €43.3 billion) being placed in bets globally.
This is an increase from the bets of US$35 billion (around €30.3 billion) which were placed globally during the 2022 World Cup.
Bets worth around US$500 million (around €433 million) are expected to be placed per match, with more than 100 matches being played during the six-week tournament, compared with the 64 matches that were played in 2022.
This expected increase in betting revenue is also due to an increase in the number of teams competing in this year's tournament, which is up from 32 to 48.
Furthermore, the growing sports betting market in the United States is also a factor; around 65% of the population are now able to place bets on sports events, which is up from 40% in 2022.
Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw may be contacted by e-mail at ‘
