economy
Wall Street sees one clear winner from the World Cup gambling boom
Several investment banks think DraftKings will benefit the most from the soccer tournament that kicks off Thursday.
TL;DR
- The 2026 FIFA World Cup is projected to be the largest betting event in history.
- Bernstein analysts suggest DraftKings is the primary gambling beneficiary due to its marketing, including a multi-year NBCUniversal tie-in and Telemundo's Spanish-language rights.
- The World Cup is expected to benefit DraftKings' prediction markets business, which has seen substantial growth.
- DraftKings views the tournament as an opportunity for new customer acquisition and engagement, especially with its unified platform and Spanish-language features.
- A Bank of America report indicates that a significant portion of bettors in legal sports gambling states plan to wager on the tournament, with some placing their first bet.
- Oppenheimer analysts see the World Cup as a trial run for DraftKings' prediction markets, preparing the platform for increased volume during the NFL season.