With the the ‘biggest betting opportunity’ in history kicking off, gambling industry stakeholders have an opportunity to promote responsible gaming. Some are more serious about it than others.
World Cup 2026 kicks off today with an expanded field of 48 teams and 104 matches (40 more than in 2022). This year’s version of the quadrennial event features games split over 39 days across stadiums in three host countries: Canada, Mexico, and the US.
Gambling companies and prediction markets are lining up novel bets, trades, and promotions, as they compete to take advantage of what Flutter’s Peter Jackson told the Financial Times is the “biggest betting opportunity we’ll have ever seen.”
Jackson said more to that effect in an appearance on CNBC’s “Closing Bell.”
We think the Super Bowl is big here in America. You might have 200 million people watching it. Last time, when the World Cup Finals played in Qatar, 1.5 billion people watched the final. Five billion people watched the whole competition, so this is massive.”
Global wagers on the FIFA World Cup could surpass $50 billion, according to projections by Macquarie analyst Chad Benyon.
Alongside the opportunity, however, is a boatload of risk. With more wagering, there’s more opportunity to make bad betting decisions. It’s up to operators, regulators, and RG organizations to ensure responsible gambling tools and messages are front and center.
For example, after a recent survey found that 41% of French adults intended to bet on World Cup matches, the French regulator, Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), launched Zone à risques. The public awareness campaign warns of possible gambling addiction risks associated with increased sports betting during the tournament.
Gambling Insider looked to see what sort of responsible gambling messages are being promoted on this side of the pond. We reached out to various sportsbooks, prediction markets, regulators, and RG-focused orgs. Here’s what we found.
RG Orgs Focused on Preventing World Cup Gambling Harm
Cait Huble, public affairs director for the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), told Gambling Insider in an email the World Cup is an opportunity to promote its national helpline:
During the World Cup, NCPG will be increasing its investment in advertising and promotion of the National Problem Gambling Helpline
, 1-800-MY-RESET. Because World Cup matches will be played across multiple states and are expected to drive significant sports betting activity, we see this as an important opportunity to promote the [helpline], as a single, nationally accessible resource that can connect individuals and families with support wherever they are.”
As part of this campaign, Huble said the Council developed a new set of resource videos to answer common Helpline questions. The set of four videos explains problem gambling, who can contact the helpline, what happens when you call, and what support is available.
The Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) said it is closely tracking the tournament, suggesting we stay tuned for a Cup-specific awareness campaign launching next week.
Patrick Moore, RGC’s senior manager of PR & communications, told us via email that the influencer-based effort focuses on preventing harm during periods of high gambling activity.
“We are connecting with local communities through trusted, relevant voices and influencers to promote safer play strategies.”
Specific details will be released on Monday, when the campaign launches, he added.
Regulators Take Different RG Tacks as World Cup Kicks Off
Turning attention to state and provincial regulators, we contacted officials in several jurisdictions: Massachusetts, New York, Florida, Illinois, Ontario, and Alberta.
Neither Illinois nor Florida responded to our request. We did notice, however, that the Florida Gaming Control Commission is urging Floridians to “make smart choices” when betting on the Cup.
New York
In New York, the Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) said it doesn’t have World Cup-specific messaging, but noted its ongoing “Take a Pause” campaign.
Evan Frost, OASAS’s assistant director of communications & public information, stressed that the campaign encourages New Yorkers to evaluate their gambling and its impact on their lives. It also points to information on where to find help for individuals or loved ones when gambling becomes a problem.
Similarly, the New York State Gaming Commission’s Lee Park said it had no tournament-specific messaging planned, but referenced its active “Risky Bet” campaign. The ongoing effort reminds New Yorkers to engage with licenced sportsbooks rather than the unregulated market.
Ontario
We contacted both iGaming Ontario (iGO) and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). We didn’t receive a response from iGaming Ontario. While the AGCO doesn’t appear to have a Cup-focused campaign, it said it has established “some of the strongest igaming advertising and promotional regulations in North America.”
It also noted BetGuard, iGaming Ontario’s Centralized Self-Exclusion program, which allows individuals to self-exclude from all regulated online gambling sites in the province.
Further, through increased inspection activities, AGCO said compliance teams are collaborating in “new ways to monitor for betting-related advertisements surrounding this major international sporting event.” These efforts, it said, focus on identifying key risk areas, including advertisements with inducements, athlete endorsements, or that appeal to minors.
Alberta
Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis (AGLC) said via email that its two responsible gambling programs, GameSense and Self-Exclusion, will be “in market” during the World Cup.
GameSense, it said, will tailor soccer-specific creative to the event, raising awareness of the available tools and resources. Self-Exclusion will start its campaign slightly later, ahead of the provincial iGaming launch, AGLC added.
The latter effort will highlight the new centralized Self-Exclusion Program that allows players to exclude themselves from “all land-based casinos, regulated iGaming platforms or both with a seamless press of a button.”
Both campaigns will air across digital platforms, video streaming platforms and social media, with GameSense scheduled in out-of-home locations and in traditional sports media environments.
Additionally, a Play Alberta campaign will run digital ads throughout the World Cup. The campaign showcases GameSense and the account tools available to players that encourage healthy, responsible play.
Massachusetts
On June 4, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office, with the Gaming Commission and State Lottery, issued a consumer advisory ahead of the World Cup. The notice warns the public about illegal gambling sites and highlights the state’s legal, licensed options.
In the advisory, Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell reminded residents that illegal gaming platforms come with risks, including fraud, identity theft, and financial exploitation.
As excitement builds ahead of the World Cup, we want the public to have the information they need to identify legal gaming options if they choose to play, protect their personal information, and avoid bad actors looking to capitalize on this major event.”
Massachusetts Gaming Commission chair Jordan Maynard also referenced prediction markets while highlighting the state’s ”robust” marketplace.
Illegal gaming operators and prediction markets are illegally offering sports wagering without a license and targeting the most vulnerable, include those under 21. The Commission has licensed three retail and seven online sportsbooks to provide a robust legal marketplace for those who choose to wager. Look for the Commission’s seal of approval to know you’re betting with a legal operator.”
On June 9, the Commission also launched a separate public awareness campaign informing the public about the variety of legal gambling options and warning of the dangers of illegal gambling sites.
Per the campaign announcement:
Safer Bets Start Here is an awareness campaign launched by the Commission intended to inform Massachusetts residents about legal, regulated gaming and caution about the dangers of putting their money on an unregulated, often illegal platform. The campaign also continues to introduce the public to PlayWell, the Commission’s new responsible gaming and player health program.”
Sports Betting Operators Offer Mixed Bag of World Cup RG Protections
Gambling Insider contacted several sportsbooks (BetMGM, FanDuel, DraftKings, Fanatics) for details on their RG messaging plans. Given that this World Cup is the first since prediction market operators made inroads into global gambling markets, we also emailed Kalshi and Polymarket.
Neither Kalshi nor BetMGM responded to our inquiry, while Polymarket opted to “respectfully decline comment.” A Fanatics spokesperson said it had “nothing specific tied to World Cup from a campaign standpoint.”
Cory Fox, FanDuel’s SVP of public policy and sustainability, told us via email the company will launch new content from their RG ambassadors during the tournament:
As a leader in responsible gaming, FanDuel continues to invest in innovative tools, resources, and education that help customers play responsibly. Major sporting events like the World Cup bring fans together around moments of excitement, and we’re proud to build on that energy with World Cup-themed touchpoints to keep responsible gaming top of mind for our customers. Throughout the tournament, customers will see a reminder to visit My Spend, their financial dashboard, at the top of the Sportsbook carousel and content from our responsible gaming ambassadors including our new ambassador, Erin Andrews.”
DraftKings
The most comprehensive operator response came from DraftKings.
In an email, DraftKings’ director of public affairs and corporate social responsibility Jared Hess said the company is launching “multiple activations to encourage players to engage responsibly” during the Cup.
Said Hess:
DraftKings leads the industry in responsible engagement by promoting customer awareness and use of budget and control tools and resources like deposit limits, cool-off periods, and self-exclusion to help customers have a fun source of entertainment with a brand they can trust.”
Specifically for the World Cup, today DraftKings is launching “multiple activations to encourage players to engage responsibly.” This, Hess said, includes a new soccer-focused version of the Gamalyze behavioral self-assessment tool and a World Cup responsible engagement sweepstakes.
Gamalyze is a gamified behavioral self-assessment tool available in DraftKings’ Responsible Engagement Center. Provided by MindwayAI, the interactive tool reveals how customers engage and helps them understand their decision-making style.
After playing the soccer-themed game, customers will receive a personalized report on their decision-making tendencies that promotes smart and responsible engagement.
Unlike traditional self-assessment tools that rely on self-reported behavior, Gamalyze evaluates how users make decisions in real time, added Hess.
Also starting today and running through June 19, DraftKings customers who opt in and view their stats through My Stat Sheet get entered in the World Cup Sweepstakes. Of those entered, five winners will receive an Alex Morgan-signed jersey.
The sweepstakes, Hess explained, was designed to drive awareness of and engagement with responsible engagement tools and resources during the World Cup.
DraftKings social media influencers, including Alex Ramos, Christian Maldonado, DJ Diveny, Vanessa Jimenez, and Wednesday Diaz, will amplify the sweepstakes messaging.
Since its launch, nearly half of all DraftKings customers have engaged with My Stat Sheet, generating more than 16 million total visits, Hess added.
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