Optimove Insights: 2026 World Cup Drives Bettor Acquisition
Tournament data shows strong growth in acquisition, especially in Latin America, but lower betting frequency reveals an event focused on expanding the user base rather than increasing value
Israel.- August 11, 2026 www.zonadeazar.com Optimove Insights released its Comprehensive 2026 World Cup Report today, finding that the event expanded the number of active bettors in the U.S., Europe, and Latin America, driving even stronger growth in the number of new bettors.
Optimove Insights is the analytics and research arm of Optimove, the creator of Positionless Marketing and the #1 player engagement solution for iGaming and sports betting operators.
The report identifies the 2026 World Cup as a major acquisition event for sportsbooks. Throughout the tournament, the number of bettors placing wagers reached, on average, 121% of the regular-season baseline in the U.S., 136% in Europe, and 153% in Latin America. The growth in first-time depositors was even more significant, with averages of 179% of the baseline in the U.S., 194% in Europe, and 314% in Latin America.
The report is based on aggregated data from leading sportsbook brands in the United States, Europe, and Latin America, covering an average of approximately 26 million active sports bettors per month between April and July 2026. The results are indexed to the weekly average for the regular season in each region between April 1 and May 24, 2026, defined as a regular baseline—prior to the 2026 World Cup—of 100%.
Other key findings:
- LATAM led growth throughout the tournament. LATAM recorded the highest average number of bettors placing wagers, at 153% of the baseline, compared to 136% in Europe and 121% in the U.S. The region also recorded the largest increase in a single stage, reaching 173% of the baseline during the Round of 16.
- First-time depositors grew more than the overall number of players: during the 2026 World Cup, new depositors reached, on average, 179% of the baseline in the U.S., 194% in Europe, and 314% in LATAM, confirming that acquisition was one of the defining factors of the tournament.
- LATAM recorded the highest peak in acquisition: the difference between the growth in new depositors and the increase in the number of bettors who placed bets was 58 percentage points in both the U.S. and Europe. In LATAM, this difference reached 161 percentage points, highlighting a disproportionate increase in new depositing customers.
- Regional performance varied by stage. LATAM generated the most significant and sustained increase, Europe showed the most stable growth, and the U.S. exhibited the pattern most clearly linked to the event, falling below the baseline during the Semifinals before rebounding and reaching its best result during the Final.
- The Final marked a major rebound in acquisition. The number of first-time depositors rose from 139% to 257% of the baseline in the U.S. and from 217% to 254% in Europe during the Final. LATAM also recorded a strong increase in the Final, rising from 242% to 351%, although its peak in customer acquisition occurred earlier, during the Round of 16.
- The average number of bets fell, as did the average amount wagered. Average bets per bettor fell to 92% of the baseline in the U.S., 75% in Europe, and 65% in LATAM. The average amount wagered per bettor also fell, but more moderately: from $266 to $236 in the U.S., from $99 to $84 in Europe, and from $52 to $46 in Latin America.
“The 2026 World Cup gave sportsbook operators exactly what every major event promises: a larger audience and a significant surge in new depositors,” said Pini Yakuel, Founder and CEO of Optimove. “But the data also highlights the challenge. Having more bettors does not automatically mean greater engagement or long-term value. Operators now need to identify which customers have the potential to become consistent and profitable players, and which were only there because of the event. This is what Positionless Marketing enables: acting quickly based on customer signals, while maintaining control over budget, offers, responsible gaming, and the customer experience.”
The post-tournament strategy should focus on qualification, not generic retention. The report shows that not every customer acquired during the 2026 World Cup is equally likely to remain active. Operators should prioritize second deposits, recurring behavior, activity outside of 2026 World Cup matches, and sustained betting without repeated incentives.
The full report is available at https://www.optimove.com/pt/resources/reports/world-cup-2026-full-tournament-report
About Optimove
Optimove is the creator of Positionless Marketing and the #1 player engagement solution for iGaming and sports betting operators. Positionless Marketing frees marketing teams from the constraints of fixed roles, empowering every marketer to execute any marketing task instantly and independently. Positionless Marketing has been proven to improve campaign efficiency by 88%, enabling marketing teams to create more personalized engagement with existing customers.
For the second consecutive year, Optimove has been positioned as a Visionary in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for Multichannel Marketing Hubs, recognized for its AI-driven decision-making, prescriptive insights, and proven ability to orchestrate thousands of personalized campaigns in real time across multiple channels.
Its Positionless Marketing Platform includes Optimove Engage and Orchestrate for decision-making and orchestration of multichannel campaigns; Optimove Personalize, a digital personalization engine; and Optimove Gamify, a loyalty and gamification platform.
All are powered by Optimove AI, the suite of marketing AI solutions that brings AI to every touchpoint in marketers’ workflows. Within the platform, through native AI agents for decision-making, analysis, and creation; outside the platform, for external AI tools such as Claude and ChatGPT, via Optimove MCP; and in custom applications built on the platform, via Optimove Custom Apps. Optimove has been incorporating AI into its platform since 2012, paving the way for Positionless Marketing.
Today, its comprehensive suite of AI-powered solutions is at the forefront of empowering marketers to optimize workflows—from Insight to Creation to Optimization. Optimove offers industry- and use-case-specific solutions for leading consumer brands worldwide.
About Optimove Insights
Optimove Insights is Optimove’s analytics and research division, dedicated to providing valuable industry insights and data-driven research to empower B2C businesses.
Edited by @pererarte www.zonadeazar.com
