A new poll conducted for BettorOff found that almost 50% of U.S. sports enthusiasts intend to wager on the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Notably, 18% of these individuals will be placing their first-ever soccer bets during the tournament. Perhaps even more encouraging for sportsbooks is the 74% who stated they anticipate increasing their soccer betting activity after the World Cup concludes.
The poll surveyed 1,500 adult sports fans residing across 21 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, all jurisdictions where online sports wagering is permitted.
An additional significant discovery was that 68% of participants plan to maintain reasonable betting limits, wagering under $200 throughout the entire competition, which takes place from November 20th to December 18th.
The study also shed light on fans’ betting habits. While 27% of those surveyed indicated they would place bets on every single game, a larger portion (51%) prefer to concentrate on particular teams. Not surprisingly, 13% revealed they would only wager on matches involving the United States team.
Lastly, despite the considerable time zone difference between Qatar and the U.S., a committed 79% of sports fans affirmed they would still place bets on matches even if unable to view them live.
For perspective, FIFA approximated a massive $146 billion in global wagers on the 2018 World Cup. However, at that time, only Nevada, Delaware, and New Jersey – three U.S. states – offered legal sports betting, and it was largely confined to physical venues.
“The World Cup presents a captivating convergence of enthusiasm and potential,” remarked Alex Dubin, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of BettorOff.
The surge in popularity of pro soccer in the States, coupled with the rise of internet wagering, suggests this World Cup will be massive. Expect unparalleled enthusiasm and a ton of activity from supporters and gamblers nationwide.”