American Gaming Association (AGA) conducted an inaugural survey on World Cup betting. AGA reported that 20.5 million American adults (8%) intend to wager a total of $1.8 billion on the 2022 FIFA World Cup™ to show the great interest in the most popular soccer event worldwide.

No regulatory concerns:

Almost one third (29%) of American adults eager to watch the most popular soccer tournament plan to place bets on the FIFA World Cup. At the same time, the majority (78%) of World Cup bettors reported that they it is of a great importance for them that their wagers are placed in a legal manner and with legal operators. It is apparent that the bettors want to indulge in the World Cup experience without any regulatory concerns.

Bet placing channels:

As for the wagering concerns, 9.8 million (48%) of World Cup bettors intend to place their bets online, while around 6.0 million (29%) intend to use the sports betting operators‘ services in a casual manner, as a part of the relaxing watching experience with family and friends.

Some other bettors – 4.7 million or 23% – will rather place their wagers at a physical casino sportsbook, unlike 4.1 million (20%) of bettors who plan to place a bet with a bookie. Finally, 3.5 million, or 17% of the World Cup bettors are ready to make their bets a part of paid pool or fantasy contest.

Online betting preferred:

The AGA survey reveals that the huge majority of World Cup bettors (72%) are ready to place traditional bets online, with a bookie, or at a physical sportsbook. This practice is different to betting habits related to other major events like the Super Bowl or March Madness that have significant casual betting opportunities.

“As the first World Cup with widespread availability of legal sports betting, this will certainly be the most bet-upon soccer event ever in the U.S. With more than half of all American adults having access to legal betting options in their home market, legal sports betting will deepen American fan engagement in the most-watched sporting event in the world.” – said AGA Senior Vice President Casey Clark.

Tipping point for soccer betting:

According to FIFA, the total global turnover for the 2018 World Cup has been estimated at $146 billion, whereas only three US states – Delaware, Nevada, and New Jersey – facilitate legal sports betting operations. However, these are most frequently limited to retail locations. Therefore, operators hope that the World Cup will be the milestone for soccer betting.

”There is an exciting intersection of interest and opportunity surrounding the World Cup,” said BettorOff CEO and Founder Alex Dubin, according to the source.

Dubin is looking forward to taking advantage of the upcoming opportunity: “As pro soccer and online sports betting explode across the US, we expect this World Cup to be a tipping point for soccer fans and bettors across the country.”