Even with the Winter Olympics, the World Series, and the NBA Finals, it will still be the biggest sports event of the year. The FIFA World Cup is, quite simply, the highest profile sports occasion on the planet – and this summer, the US, Canada, and Mexico will be hosting football’s quadrennial extravaganza.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has claimed the expanded tournament will be like 104 Super Bowls. Whether that claim can be backed up is a matter for debate, but there is no doubt that there will be hundreds of millions of people around the world watching the games throughout June and July.
It goes without saying that all the online sports betting sites will be covering the World Cup this summer. But how will the iGaming industry as a whole benefit from this prestigious event?
New Customers
Thanks to intelligent marketing and the easing of regulations around the world, there is more sports betting going on than ever before. In what is an incredibly competitive market, there are still plenty of opportunities for iGaming businesses to grow. But an event like the World Cup offers one of the most important.
There is expected to be a huge surge in new bettors in the run up to the beginning of the World Cup summer, and throughout the six weeks of tournament play. An event like this transcends sports entirely, with people who usually have little interest in soccer taking notice and becoming engaged. This newfound interest will allow iGaming companies to attract a new customer base to work with.
Increased Use of AI
Although any new technology tools will have been tested thoroughly before the World Cup starts this summer, the buzz around the tournament will give sportsbooks and other iGaming companies the chance to put their new features to the stress test – and that means that everything AI-related will become very commonly used.
There are obvious areas of iGaming and sports betting where AI can play a huge role in improving the service and user experience. More precise pricing and faster in-play betting options are just two examples of how AI could improve the experience for bettors. How well these AI-run tools perform will give the iGaming industry a good idea of what comes next and what becomes popular.
Personalization Leading to Retention
Although any sportsbook will be looking forward to the chance to attract new users this summer, thanks to the World Cup, a more important factor will be how to retain their custom throughout the tournament and after it has finished. There are a number of ways this can be achieved, but personalization is key.
Making the customer feel special is an age-old technique, and the iGaming industry is now using the latest technology and tools to make the experience as personal as possible in order to achieve that aim. Offering custom odds and bets, personal recommendations, and user-specific promotions connected to the World Cup will help with those new bettors becoming long-standing customers.
Business Partnerships
iGaming companies and global sportsbooks already have some of the highest profiles, thanks to the sponsorship and brand visibility work carried out over the last few years. But a huge sports event like the World Cup will only amplify the industry’s position. It is not an exaggeration to say that the tournament will be the top story over the summer, and that gives businesses the chance to make some new, profitable partnerships.
It might just be technical partnerships in order to provide a more enjoyable user experience. But there is also the opportunity for iGaming companies to get their names known beyond the usual parameters of the industry. Expect to see sportsbooks and other iGaming names everywhere this summer.
Live Streaming
One of the most important business partnerships a sportsbook or iGaming company can make related to the World Cup will be related to live streaming. Broadcasting deals for this elite level of sports event are always highly lucrative, but there is also the opportunity for live streaming of games independently of the TV channels and streaming giants.
Live streaming through online betting sites allows the sportsbooks to incorporate the latest odds and other betting options being offered to the customer as they watch the games. Providing this information while an event is occurring is an excellent way of bringing in more revenue, and any good iGaming company will already have its live streaming deals in place ahead of the summer.
iGaming Boost
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is an unparalleled opportunity for the iGaming industry to create an even higher profile. It is, by far, the most popular global sports event and attracts an audience far beyond the usual, already impressive, parameters of football.
Businesses across the iGaming spectrum will use the tournament as a chance to attract many more new customers and users, and then work on retaining them after the whistle blows at the end of the final. Advanced technology, promotions, personalization, and gamification will all play their part in achieving that. With the World Cup only coming around every four years, the entire industry will have been tirelessly working towards this summer’s event.
The integration between iGaming and the World Cup should pave the way for an even more successful business sector and an even higher profile in the years to come.
