Macquarie is forecasting a significant wagering tailwind from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, estimating global bets could reach roughly $50 billion and translate into a 2% to 5% increase in operator EBITDA in 2027.
The 2026 tournament will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico during June and July and will feature 48 national teams competing across more than 100 matches over six weeks. Macquarie notes the expanded format represents about 60% more matches than the 2022 event and that the field includes strong representation from major betting markets in Europe, Latin America, Africa and North America.
Using figures from the prior World Cup as a reference point, Macquarie estimates global wagers in 2022 exceeded $35 billion, which it translates to roughly $0.5 billion per match. Applying a similar per-match rate to the larger 2026 schedule, the firm projects total wagers could surpass $50 billion. Macquarie also calls out potential upside to that baseline from increased parlay activity and player-prop betting.
The upcoming tournament will occur in a materially more developed U.S. sports-betting environment than in 2022. Macquarie highlights that about 65% of the U.S. population will have legal access to sports betting in 2026 versus approximately 40% in 2022, a change the firm sees as supportive of larger bet volumes.
On company exposure, Macquarie identifies operators with broad international soccer footprints and integrated sportsbook and iGaming offerings as best positioned to turn elevated fan engagement into incremental revenue and profit. The firm specifically calls out Flutter Entertainment as having 35% exposure to Europe and Rush Street Interactive as having 20% exposure to Latin America. SG&H Capital, Flutter and Rush Street Interactive are named as the primary beneficiaries, with SRAD and GENI also highlighted as likely to gain from the tournament dynamics.
Macquarie additionally points to SG&H Capital's revenue mix, noting 88% of its global revenue in 2025 came from countries participating in the tournament, a concentration the firm judges relevant to potential tournament-related gains.
Overall, Macquarie's view centers on the scale of the expanded 2026 schedule, the deeper U.S. market access, and operator mix as the key drivers of incremental wagering and potential earnings uplift in 2027.