Football

How Virtual Sports Can Help Shape The North American Market During and After the World Cup

Published

2 hours ago

June 18, 2026

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Check out our latest Q&A w/ Robert Miller, President, Kiron North America.

Everyone is talking about the opportunity presented to the North American market by the World Cup. Just how big an opportunity do you believe it is? And what is the size of this opportunity for virtual sports?

For live sports betting, the World Cup is one of the biggest opportunities available. It drives significant betting volume, attracts new customers and creates moments of engagement that few sporting events can match. For virtual sports, the opportunity is different. The World Cup can help introduce new players to a broader betting ecosystem, but virtual sports are not dependent on major tournaments to succeed. Their real strength is providing consistent engagement throughout the year. While the tournament creates a short term surge in activity, the long term opportunity lies in offering customers engaging experiences every day, not just during major events.

Events like the World Cup present a huge demand for content from operators. How can virtual sports help operators in North America during these times?

Live matches will always be the centrepiece of the World Cup experience and rightly so. However, operators also need ways to keep customers engaged between matches and throughout the wider tournament journey. Virtual sports complement live betting by providing continuous entertainment and additional touchpoints when there is no live action available. The greatest value comes when virtuals are integrated into a broader engagement strategy that keeps players connected to the platform before, during and after major sporting events.

The North American market has been maturing significantly in the last few years, does a tournament as big as the World Cup showcase the strength of the market? Or highlight the flaws in its set-up?

It does both. The strength of the market is clear in the scale of customer participation and the growing appetite for sports betting experiences. Major tournaments demonstrate just how much demand exists. At the same time, they highlight one of the industry’s biggest challenges: retention. Many operators are highly successful at attracting customers during major events, but maintaining engagement afterwards remains a key focus. Long term success will come from building experiences that keep players engaged throughout the year, not just during peak sporting moments.

North American sports fans have a very different relationship with football compared to European or Latin American audiences. How does that affect the way virtual football products need to be positioned or presented in this market?

Product positioning needs to reflect the realities of the local audience. Football continues to grow in North America, but it does not yet have the same cultural position it enjoys in many other regions. For that reason, virtual football products should focus on accessibility, entertainment and ease of engagement. Players respond to experiences that are intuitive, fast paced and easy to understand. The emphasis should be on delivering continuous action and a compelling user experience rather than relying solely on familiarity with the sport itself.

The World Cup has a jam-packed schedule and the North American sports calendar is one of the most packed in the world. With so much live content available, how do you make the case for virtual sports to operators who believe they already have enough sports action to offer?

The conversation is not about choosing between live sports and virtual sports. The most effective operators recognise that the two can work together. Live sports naturally create periods of inactivity between events, while different player segments engage with content in different ways. Virtual sports fill those gaps and create additional opportunities for interaction. When positioned correctly, they enhance the overall entertainment offering rather than compete with live sports.

When the World Cup has finished, what is the lasting impact on virtual sports in North America and how do providers ensure they do not lose any momentum they have gained?

The lasting impact comes from what operators do with the attention generated during the tournament. Major sporting events create opportunities to introduce new customers to products and experiences they may not have explored previously. Maintaining momentum requires strong operational integration, seamless customer journeys and products that continue to deliver value long after the tournament ends. Providers that focus on year round engagement rather than short term spikes will be best positioned to benefit.

The post How Virtual Sports Can Help Shape The North American Market During and After the World Cup appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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Sportradar data: Mbappe leads Haaland and Messi in player-to-score betting

Published

15 hours ago

June 17, 2026

Wladimir P.

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The company says Mbappe drew 29% of player-to-score tickets across three matches, ahead of Haaland (16%) and Messi (10%).

Kylian Mbappe attracted the most action in player-to-score betting markets compared with Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi, according to new insights released by Sportradar.

The company said it reviewed “hundreds of thousands” of betting tickets processed in the ‘player to score’ market across France v Senegal, Iraq v Norway, and Argentina v Algeria. Mbappe accounted for 29% of those tickets, Sportradar said, compared with 16% for Haaland and 10% for Messi.

Daren Lury, Head of Risk Management at Sportradar said: “We’re seeing high levels of engagement with Mbappe across all of our player markets – a clear sign of his quality and popularity amongst fans worldwide. Based on the betting activity we’re seeing, he’s well positioned to challenge for the Golden Boot having won the award four years ago.”

Sportradar added that, at the time of writing, opening-match results in the tournament had not materially shifted engagement in the Golden Boot winner betting market. The company said Haaland accounted for 21% of tickets processed in that market, followed by Mbappe with 15% and Messi at 4%.

Sportradar said it processes betting tickets on behalf of more than 250 betting operators worldwide.

The post Sportradar data: Mbappe leads Haaland and Messi in player-to-score betting appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Arnold Ash

Arnold Ash sponsors Arthurian League US tour ahead of 2026 Transatlantic Cup

Published

6 days ago

June 12, 2026

Wladimir P.

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Arnold Ash has agreed a sponsorship deal for the Arthurian League’s 2026 US Tour, which will culminate in the inaugural Transatlantic Cup on Friday 26 June in Philadelphia. The announcement was dated Friday 12th June 2026.

The Transatlantic Cup will be played during the 2026 World Cup and is framed by organisers as part of events marking 250 years of US independence. US amateur champions West Chester United SC, holders of the 2025 US Adult Soccer Association (USASA) National Amateur Cup, will host the Arthurian League representative side.

Arnold Ash’s logo will appear on the front of the touring team’s white and red England kit. The company said the headline partnership covers the full 12-day tour, including additional matches against New York Athletic Club and Boston Bolts, plus in-stadium branding at the ticketed fixture at Drexel University’s Vidal Athletic Complex and across event online and social channels.

Jon Arnold, CEO at Arnold Ash, said: “Arnold Ash has been a proud sponsor of the Arthurian League representative sides at major events before, but it doesn’t get any bigger than this. The team is hugely talented, made up of the top amateur players England has to offer and – as the best-of-the-best – reflect the Arnold Ash core principles of quality, experience and consistency.

“The World Cup is now underway, but for the next five weeks, the Transatlantic Cup is where the real action is at! We wish both England teams the best of luck stateside!”

Billy Jenkins, Manager of the Arthurian League representative team, said: “Arnold Ash’s sponsorship is hugely valuable to our team, and we are incredibly grateful for their continued backing of grassroots football.

“We are honoured to participate in the first-ever Transatlantic Cup and just like England’s professional team hope to be lifting prestigious silverware on US soil in the coming weeks.”

The post Arnold Ash sponsors Arthurian League US tour ahead of 2026 Transatlantic Cup appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

1win

Football, Crypto and $5 Million of Rewards in 1win’s World Cup Mega Tournament

Published

1 week ago

June 11, 2026

Wladimir P.

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Willemstand, Curaçao, June 11th, 2026, PlayNewswire

1win is inviting users to compete for a total of 5,000,000 USDT in rewards during the FIFA World Cup 2026. The new Football World Cup tournament by 1win will run between June 11 and July 19, 2026, allowing thousands of users to compete for prizes while enjoying the biggest football event of the year.

In the Football World Cup tournament, registered users can participate in online games and place bets on their favorite teams to compete for rewards of up to 500,000 USDT for top-ranked players. With a total prize pool of 5,000,000 USDT, thousands of participants will have the opportunity to win prizes based on their positions on the leaderboard.

How to Participate

A minimum bet of 1 USDT (or the equivalent in the account currency) with odds of 1.5 or higher on any FIFA World Cup 2026 match is required.
Points continue to accumulate through eligible games or qualifying sports bets.
The leaderboard determines rankings and eligibility for rewards.

Points are awarded based on wager amounts and tournament multipliers. The more points a user earns, the higher their position on the leaderboard.

The Football World Cup tournament is available in selected regions where 1win services are offered, and participation is permitted by local laws and regulations. Regional restrictions apply to users from Australia, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Israel, Iran, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, North Korea, Singapore, the United States, Taiwan, and the Philippines.

Winners will be announced no later than August 7, 2026, following the completion of the tournament and verification of results. Full tournament rules, participation requirements, prize distribution details, and applicable restrictions are available on the official 1win website.

About 1win

Founded in 2016, 1win is a global crypto-focused online entertainment platform. 1win offers a wide range of gaming products adapted to regional audiences. The brand has active collaborations with international public figures, including actor Johnny Sins, martial artist Jon Jones, and Olympic champion and UFC fighter Gable Steveson. In 2026, 1win welcomed UFC champion Ilia Topuria and rapper Tyga as new members of the 1win VIP community.