SPOTLIGHT SPORTS GROUP RELEASES WORLD CUP 2026 BETTING OUTLOOK AS INDUSTRY PREPARES FOR SURGE IN FIRST TIME BETTORS

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New research reveals high intent to bet, major entry of first time bettors and rising demand for personalised, trusted content ahead of the biggest World Cup in history.

Spotlight has released its World Cup 2026 Betting Outlook, presenting new insights into how fans will watch, bet and engage across the expanded 48 team, 39 day tournament.

Key findings show major shifts in fan betting behaviour:

• 66% of planned bettors will be betting on the World Cup for the first time
• In the US this rises sharply to 90%, signalling significant entry of new bettors into the market
• 70% plan to place a bet, but only 7% feel confident doing so
• 44% say late night and early morning kick off times, particularly for UK fans, will push them toward more pre match betting
• 96% want personalised betting content tailored to their interests
• Social media is the least trusted source of betting insight

The research also highlights strong enthusiasm for the expanded tournament format itself, with 93% feeling positive about the 48 team structure and 86% planning to stay engaged throughout the full 39 day schedule.

Mark Langdon, Group Sports Director at Spotlight Sports Group, said: “The data shows that the 2026 World Cup will bring a huge wave of new and inexperienced bettors into the market. Operators that deliver simple onboarding, strong pre-match insight and personalised content will be best positioned to capture and engage this audience.”

The findings will be discussed in detail during Spotlight Sports Group’s SBC webinar Engaging Audiences During the 2026 World Cup on Thursday 4 December at 2pm GMT.

About the research

The survey gathered responses from 600 sports fans across the UK, US and LATAM.

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