ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Americans will bet $1.8 billion on the World Cup this year, the first to be held while legal sports betting is widespread in the U.S., according to the casino industry’s national trade group.
About 20.5 million American adults plan to bet on the biggest soccer tournament in the world, legally or otherwise, the American Gaming Association estimated Tuesday. The majority plan to place bets online, with a bookie or at a physical sportsbook.
The survey is the organization’s first for World Cup betting.
Thirty-one states plus Washington, D.C., currently offer legal sports betting, with five additional markets due to begin soon.