The 2026 World Cup is proving to be the main driver behind the transformation of the sports betting market in Latin America, with Brazil positioning itself at the forefront of these projections.
Reports released by Sportradar, Optimove and SOFTSWISS indicate that the country, after generating R$37 billion in gross revenue in 2025, is expected to account for around 10% of global betting volume during the world tournament, boosting behavioral and consumption indicators throughout the region.
According to the Latam Betting Intentions Report, published by Optimove Insights, 86% of local consumers plan to place bets during the competition. This figure signals the scale of operational activity expected for the event period.
This outlook aligns with indicators from the Sportradar report, which projects that 19% of fans will place their first-ever sports bet specifically during the 2026 tournament.
The same document notes that 60% of users intend to use online channels or apps to place their bets throughout the championship.
The new regional consumer
The surveys indicate qualitative changes in the profile of the engaged audience. According to Optimove’s data, this new user does not need basic education about the sports themselves, with three out of four respondents having already participated in previous World Cup editions, 61% having bet on the Copa Libertadores and 45% on the Champions League.
Demand has shifted toward the browsing experience and platform usability. This audience shows a high level of technical confidence.
Optimove’s research shows that 94% of Latin American bettors consider themselves moderately or highly confident in their knowledge of the industry’s dynamics, with 60% declaring themselves very confident.
Regarding this behavior, Rafael Alessi, senior account executive at Optimove Brazil, notes that the new local bettor follows sports closely, knows clubs and athletes, and has well-formed opinions about matches.
According to the executive, the challenge for operators is to provide guidance on platform usability without underestimating users’ pre-existing sports knowledge, since this audience shows low tolerance for generic communication strategies.
Sportradar characterizes this consumer by three central traits: the search for active participation in the journey, a preference for interactive products adapted to the progress of matches, and the simultaneous use of multiple channels, such as broadcasts and social media.
According to Rodrigo Cambiaghi, lead sales executive for digital advertising, this shift in behavior, driven by interactivity and real-time personalization, increases the volume of data and financial transactions that require continuous monitoring.
Cambiaghi believes that artificial intelligence tools used to customize the customer experience also play a role in preserving market integrity, enabling the analysis of more than 30 billion odds movements per year, from over 600 global operators, for the rapid identification of suspicious operational patterns.
“The main drivers of this growth are the expanded tournament format, the continued advancement of regulated betting markets, improvements in the mobile betting experience, and the World Cup’s unique ability to attract both frequent and occasional bettors around the world,” says SOFTSWISS Sportsbook leader Alexander Kamenetsky.
Live betting
Consumer behavior during the tournament is marked by a preference for real-time operations. Optimove’s data shows that 77% of bettors intend to place live bets during matches, and 44% plan to make multiple bets per game.
Regarding technological infrastructure, the reports highlight the central role of mobile devices.
Sixty percent of Latin American bettors use the mobile app as their primary channel. In terms of communication, push notifications have become the preferred tool for 38% of users, surpassing email, chosen by 14% of respondents.
The efficiency of data processing and payments is identified by SOFTSWISS as a determining factor for the user experience.
The report indicates that regional audiences demand simplified registration flows and instant settlement. In the Brazilian market, the large-scale adoption of Pix has reduced operational barriers and established new speed standards for financial transactions within the region’s ecosystem.
Retention strategies
Managing the customer lifecycle after the tournament ends is identified as the main strategic challenge for operators. Historically, major competitions generate seasonal traffic peaks, but 2026 data shows trends of prolonged engagement.
Optimove’s research reveals that 78% of LatAm bettors will maintain activity on the platform even after their home country’s team is eventually eliminated, a rate higher than the 65% recorded in the United States market.
Among the retention factors, 52% of users say they continue following specific athletes, and 47% go on to bet on their favorite teams to win the title.
Sportradar projects that 91% of bettors in the region intend to maintain activity after the tournament, with the Copa Libertadores (72%) and the Champions League (62%) as the main destinations.
Together, the reports indicate that the 2026 World Cup will serve as a milestone intensifying trends already observed in the Latin American betting market, with greater technological integration and an evolving consumption profile.