World Cup 2026 Sportsbook Growth Depends on Payments, Not Odds or Promotions

As millions of fans place their first bets during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Paysafe indicates that quick, localized payments – rather than promotions – will propel worldwide sportsbook growth.

A new study from payments platform Paysafe indicates that transaction performance and payment localization – rather than betting features – are the main factors influencing sportsbook growth during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is returning to North America for the first time in over thirty years.

60% of fans worldwide want to make transactions with online sportsbooks during the competition, many of them for the first time, according to Paysafe's All the Ways Players Pay: World Cup 2026 research. Opportunities will rely more on how well operators handle payments, withdrawals, and local preferences than on odds or promotions.

According to the survey, 19% of prospective customers worldwide anticipate making their first online bet during the World Cup. Similar first-time action is anticipated in Mexico (26%) and Ontario, Canada (9%), while 62% of fans in legal markets in the United States intend to wager, with roughly one-third doing so for the first time.

Paysafe sees significant betting intent in recently regulated and rapidly expanding areas outside of North America. While established European countries like Italy (64%) and the UK (60%) continue to exhibit large transaction volumes, 66% of fans in Brazil and 85% in Peru want to place bets, underscoring the tournament's worldwide payment demand.

Also, the study demonstrates that payment performance currently surpasses conventional sportsbook differentiators. Globally, quick withdrawals rank as the top priority (33%), even outperforming brand trust in some economies like Peru. Access to preferred payment options (22%) and deposit speed (24%) are also highly ranked. Alternative payment options, such as pay-by-bank, digital wallets, and local payment solutions, are becoming more popular, even if debit cards are still the most popular choice.

With almost one in five gamblers favoring local payment methods, localization is becoming a top priority in international betting. This percentage jumps significantly in areas like Brazil, where over half anticipate using Pix during the tournament. The significant likelihood of payment failures is also highlighted in the report: 88% of customers worldwide would switch sportsbooks following a bad payment experience, with over 90% in the US and Ecuador.

The 2026 World Cup will be the largest opportunity yet for online sportsbooks, according to Zak Cutler, President of Global Gaming at Paysafe. Reliable, localized payments are essential for both acquisition and retention as regulated betting grows throughout the Americas.