US Sportsbooks Begin Preparations for FIFA World Cup 2026 Home Tournament

US licensed sportsbooks accelerated their preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup throughout 2025, investing in soccer-specific product development, in-play betting infrastructure, and customer education initiatives aimed at the millions of American sports fans who may bet on a World Cup for the first time through a licensed sportsbook when the tournament comes to the United States in June-July 2026.

The Scale of the Opportunity

The 2026 FIFA World Cup represents an unprecedented opportunity for US licensed sportsbooks. The tournament — the first to be hosted in the United States since 1994 — will be played across 11 American cities, with matches at venues including MetLife Stadium (New York/NJ), AT&T Stadium (Dallas), SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles), Hard Rock Stadium (Miami), Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta), Lumen Field (Seattle), NRG Stadium (Houston), Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City), Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia), Levi's Stadium (San Francisco Bay Area), and Gillette Stadium (Boston/Foxborough). The World Cup final is scheduled for MetLife Stadium.

By June 2026, when the tournament begins, the US licensed sports betting market is expected to be available in approximately 40 states — up from the 33 states available during the 2022 World Cup. This expanded market coverage, combined with the home-country hosting narrative, is projected to drive US legal sports betting on the World Cup to historically unprecedented levels.

Product Development Priorities

US sportsbooks identified several product development priorities for the 2026 World Cup in their 2025 planning cycles:

Live/in-play betting: Soccer's 90-minute continuous format, limited stoppages, and potential for matches to remain competitive until late in the game make live betting particularly engaging. Operators invested in the infrastructure needed to offer a wide range of live markets (next goal, current score, goalscorer, corner counts) with competitive pricing and rapid settlement.

Soccer market breadth: The 48-team expanded format creates more individual match betting opportunities than any previous World Cup. Operators sought to expand their soccer market coverage across group stage matches involving lesser-known national teams.

Casual bettor education: Many Americans who will bet on the World Cup will be doing so for the first time, drawn in by the home-country excitement. Operators invested in how-to-bet guides, betting market explainers, and odds education content targeted at first-time bettors.

Responsible gambling: The extended tournament calendar — approximately a month of matches — creates an unusual sustained betting event. Operators planned responsible gambling messaging specific to the World Cup, reminding players to set budgets for the tournament period.