Expansion of the World Cup and regulated market in Brazil raise expectations for online betting in the country in 2026
The 2026 World Cup is expected to generate up to US$60 billion in sports betting worldwide, equivalent to approximately R$310 billion. With the new regulated betting market, Brazil has the potential to reach 10% of this total, according to experts.
Estimates are from companies in the sector and indicate that the tournament, hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, could record the largest volume of bets in history. The expectation is supported by the increase in the number of teams and matches, in addition to the consolidation of regulated markets, such as the Brazilian one.
The competition, which began on June 11, 2026, will be the 1st World Cup held after the regulation of fixed odds betting in Brazil, in force since January 2025. For the sector, the tournament will serve as a test for the maturity of the national market and for the ability of authorized operators to attract new users.
Darren Small, vice president of Sportradar, one of the world’s leading sports technology companies, told the news agency AFP that revenue from betting during the competition is expected to exceed US$50 billion.
The Director of Operations at SOFTSWISS Sportsbook, Alexander Kamenetsky, stated that global betting activity is expected to grow by more than 50% in relation to the 2022 World Cup – when the volume was US$35 billion – and could reach US$60 billion. According to him, the expansion of the competition from 64 to 104 games creates new opportunities for pre-game and live betting.
“Brazil alone could account for around 10% of the global betting volume on the World Cup in 2026”he declared.
The president of the National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL), Plínio Lemos Jorge, said that there is still not enough data to estimate the size of the Brazilian market during the competition. According to him, the regulated sector is still new in the country.
“We are approaching the World Cup with a market that has only existed for 1 and a half years. For this reason, it is difficult to predict what the volume of financial transactions will be during this period, but the expectations of the entire sector are high”he stated.
Some recent research shows that 38% of Brazilian bettors use platforms during World Cups. A study carried out by Creditas and Opinion Box indicates that 56% of Brazilians intend to participate in bets or pools during the competition. Among people aged 18 to 24, the percentage rises to 70%.
For Stefano Andrade, CEO of BB Gaming, the holding company responsible for bra.bet.br, the regulation has increased consumer confidence and should attract new participants.
“Growth will not only come from recurring bettors, but mainly from millions of Brazilians who will have their first contact with regulated platforms during the tournament”he declared.
The CEO of Ana Gaming, Marco Tulio, stated that the Cup has the capacity to mobilize audiences beyond the usual fans. “Even those who aren’t even that interested in sports start following, cheering and having fun with their family and friends”these.
In the opinion of Hans Schleier, marketing director at Casa de Apostas, the advancement of betting is also a result of the maturity of the sector in recent years. “It is a market that has become more consolidated and gained the knowledge of the general public”, he stated.
The companies’ expectation is that the 2026 World Cup will consolidate the Brazilian regulated market and increase the migration of bettors to platforms authorized by the Ministry of Finance, increasing tax revenue and strengthening a sector that has already become one of the main investment fronts in sports advertising in the country.
