WORLD CUP 2026
on their favorite teams, but their options will be more limited than those available in Missouri, Kansas, or on the East Coast. This is especially important for supporters of Uruguay and Egypt: Uruguay will play two group-stage matches in Florida, while Egypt will play two group-stage matches in Washington. Florida – The State of Florida, Hard Rock, and the Seminole Tribe have a somewhat complicated history with regards to legalized sports wagering. Back in 2007, the Seminole Tribe of Florida purchased the iconic Hard Rock International brand. In 2021, the Seminole Tribe entered a new 30-year Class III Gaming Compact with the State of Florida, granting the Seminole Tribe the exclusive right to offer casino gaming and sports wagering throughout Florida. 10 As the only legal sportsbook in Florida, visitors to South Beach for the World Cup will have to download the Hard Rock Bet app to place a legal wager in the Sunshine State. Washington – While sports wagering is available in Washington, visitors will have to make their way to one of the State’s Tribal casinos if they want to place a wager on sports. There are several Tribal casinos throughout the state, including some in the Seattle area. Most have in-house, retail sportsbooks, including a few operated by major players like DraftKings and Caesars. Some of these sportsbooks allow patrons to use a mobile app to place wagers, but only if the bettor is physically located at the retail establishment. Other North American markets Canada – Sports wagering regulation varies significantly across North America, and those differences are likely to influence how betting activity develops during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In Canada, sports wagering is legal but regulated primarily at the provincial level. Following federal reforms in 2021 that removed the prohibition on single- event sports betting, provinces were granted the authority to
license and regulate wagering within their borders, resulting in a patchwork of markets. 11 Some provinces, including Ontario, home to World Cup host city Toronto, have launched competitive regulated online platforms, while others continue to rely primarily on government-run systems or more limited frameworks. 12 Major US-facing sportsbooks such as FanDuel and DraftKings are licensed in Ontario’s regulated market but will not be available to World Cup fans in the other Canadian host city of Vancouver. 13 Mexico – Mexico, by contrast, regulates sports wagering under a centralized federal framework. Gambling, including online sports betting, is legal nationwide under the Regulations of the Federal Gaming and Raffles Law and overseen by the Ministry of the Interior (Secretaría de Gobernación, or SEGOB). 14 Operators with the requisite federal authorization may offer sports betting nationwide, with online wagering permitted through properly licensed entities. Unlike the US and Canada, online sports betting in Mexico operates under a single national regulatory framework rather than varying by state or region. Visitors to any of the 13 matches being staged in Mexico will experience a consistent betting environment, although the federally regulated market does not currently include many of the major sportsbook brands familiar to US bettors. US regulated sports wagering operator handle expectations The FIFA World Cup occurs during a slow period in the American sports calendar. With the NBA Finals concluding no later than June 19th and the college and NFL football seasons still months away, the World Cup will mainly have to compete with summer baseball for viewers and wagering dollars. 15 While the WNBA has also generated increased betting interest in recent seasons, overall summer wagering
10 https://www.flgov.com/eog/sites/default/files/press/2021%20Gaming%20Compact.pdf 11 https://www.canada.ca/en/department-justice/news/2021/08/government-of-canada-announces-coming-into-force-date-of-criminal-codea- mendments-on-single-event-sport-betting.html 12 Understanding Canada's sports betting regulations in 2025 - Durham Post 13 https://draftkings.gcs-web.com/news-releases/news-release-details/draftkings-launches-mobile-sportsbook-and-igaming-products 14 https://practiceguides.chambers.com/practice-guides/gaming-law-2025/mexico 15 https://www.rotowire.com/article/us-sports-betting-news-which-is-the-sport-americans-bet-on-most-71608?utm_
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