The 2026 FIFA World Cup, which returns to North America for the first time since 1994, is set to become not only a global sporting event, but also a turning point for the online betting market.
These estimates come from a recent survey conducted by Paysafe, an international digital payments platform, which indicates significant growth in both regular bettors and occasional bettors during the tournament.
According to the report “All the Ways Players Pay: World Cup 2026”, 60% of fans worldwide who follow the World Cup intend to place bets online.
This figure signals a huge opportunity for operators, especially in the context of increasingly expanded regulated markets across North America, Latin America, and Europe.
Even more significant is the fact that 19% of consumers globally plan to place their first-ever online bet during the tournament.
In the United States, where sports betting is now legal in most of the country, 62% of fans say they intend to bet on the World Cup, with a surprising 29% ready to do so for the first time.
Even higher figures emerge from Mexico, where 68% plan to bet and 26% will make their debut in online betting. In Canada, specifically in the province of Ontario, 46% of residents intend to place bets, with 9% being new players.
Interest is not limited to North America. In recently regulated Latin American markets such as Brazil, 66% of fans say they intend to bet, while in Peru the figure rises to an astonishing 85%.
Europe is also showing strong participation, with Italy at 64% and the United Kingdom at 60%, confirming the importance of the World Cup as a catalyst for legal online gambling activity.
However, the survey sends a clear message to bookmakers: attracting new customers will not be enough if they cannot provide an efficient and reliable payment experience.
When bettors choose a sportsbook for the World Cup, trust in the brand remains a key factor, cited by 38% of respondents.
Nevertheless, payment speed proves to be even more crucial, cited by 33% as a priority—ahead of odds, promotions, and user experience.
In some markets, this trend is even more pronounced. In Peru, for example, 38% of bettors consider payment speed more important than brand reputation.
Other payment-related aspects also significantly influence the choice of sportsbook: 24% of users globally prioritize fast deposits, while 22% consider the availability of their preferred payment methods.
Debit cards remain the most widely used payment method globally, with a preference rate of 39%, a percentage that increases further in markets that restrict the use of credit cards, such as the United Kingdom or certain U.S. states.
At the same time, however, the use of alternative payment methods is on the rise. Twenty-seven percent of bettors prefer to pay via bank transfer or similar solutions, while 25% opt for digital wallets, which in countries such as Peru are actually the top choice.
Another key factor is payment localization. Nineteen percent of users globally say they prefer local payment methods—a share that rises significantly in markets such as Brazil, where the instant payment system Pix is indicated as the natural option by 48% of bettors.
With a tournament scheduled to last five weeks, the ability to retain players becomes crucial. The survey shows that 88% of bettors globally would switch sportsbooks after a negative payment experience, a sentiment particularly strong in the United States and Ecuador, where the figure reaches 93%.
“The 2026 World Cup will be the biggest championship in history for online sportsbooks,” said Zak Cutler, President of Global Gaming at Paysafe.
“It will offer an unprecedented opportunity to attract new customers and strengthen existing relationships. Our research shows that payments will be a central element throughout the tournament and beyond, making checkout optimization crucial,” Cutler added.
In a context of increasing competition and regulation, the 2026 World Cup represents a critical test—not only for operators’ ability to attract new bettors, but also to demonstrate reliability, speed, and attention to local preferences at a moment of maximum global exposure.