SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Over 20 million American adults are planning to bet a total of $1.8 billion on the 2022 FIFA World Cup, according to a survey by the American Gaming Association.
Three in 10 American adults who plan to watch the tournament said they intend to make a wager, with Gen Z and Millennial adults being more interested in betting than Gen X and Baby Boomers, survey results show.
Who are most people betting for? According to the data, most Americans would put their money on the U.S. to win the World Cup, followed by Brazil, Argentina and then Germany.
When it comes to methods used for placing bets, the survey shows 48% of people plan to place a bet online, 29% plan to place a casual bet with a friend, 23% plan to place a bet at a physical casino sportsbook, 20% plan to place a bet with a bookie and 17% plan to place a bet as part of a paid pool or fantasy contest.
“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.,” said AGA Senior Vice President Casey Clark. “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.”
Respondents to the survey agreed that betting should be done legally, with 78% saying it’s important.
“As the World Cup kicks off, anyone getting in on the action should have a game plan to bet responsibly. That means setting a budget, keeping it fun, learning the odds and playing with legal, regulated operators,” Clark added.
The 2022 World Cup is set to kick off on Sunday at the Al Bayt Stadium in Qatar.
