The World Cup betting outlook points to a big month for sportsbooks and fans alike. With licensed sportsbooks operational in most US states, more soccer fans than ever can bet on the World Cup online or in person safely and legally.
As a result, bettors can look forward to bigger and better promotions, expanded World Cup betting options, and competitive odds.
Read on for everything US bettors need to know about betting on the World Cup. Below, BettingUSA explains how to bet on the World Cup online, which sportsbooks offer the best odds, and where to get high-value soccer betting promotions.
World Cup Betting Sites
Play $5, Get $50PrizePicks Promo Code: BUSA
$50 provided as promo funds, only for use on PrizePicks. Promo funds provided under this promotion must be played within 90 days of receipt or shall become null and void at PrizePicks’ discretion. Promo ends 12/31/25. Void where prohibited. If you or someone you know has a gaming problem, get help. Crisis services and responsible gaming counseling can be accessed by calling 1-800-426-2537 or online at www.ncpgambling.org. 18+ in most eligible jurisdictions, but other age and eligibility restrictions may apply. Valid only in jurisdictions where PrizePicks operates. See prizepicks.com/terms for full PrizePicks terms of service.
$100 Welcome BonusFliff Promo Code: BUSABONUS
No purchase necessary. 18+, T&Cs Apply. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
*The options available in your state are fantasy pick’em apps and social sportsbooks, not technically sports betting.
World Cup Betting Apps
BettingUSA ranks the best World Cup betting apps according to factors that impact users’ experiences. These rankings only include World Cup betting apps and sportsbooks that are legal and licensed in the USA.
- The opening odds for the US Men’s National Team to win outright
- The odds for the USA to win each World Cup game
- Variety of wagering markets offered for each game
- Length of time in operation; reputation
- Availability of World Cup betting promotions
BetMGM World Cup Betting
$1500 In Bonus BetsBetMGM Bonus Code: BUSABONUS
Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (available in the US). Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Call 1-800-327-5050 (MA). 21+ only. Please gamble responsibly. Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800- 981-0023 (PR). First bet offer for new customers only. Subject to eligibility requirements. Bonus bets are non-withdrawable. In partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel. See BetMGM.com for terms. US $1500 promotional offer not available in New York, Nevada, Ontario, or Puerto Rico.
- 200+ markets per World Cup game
- World Cup Same-game parlays
- World Cup Same-game parlay insurance
BetMGM is the best all-around sportsbook for World Cup betting with one exception: it opened its outright odds on the USA to win it all at +10,000. Other World Cup betting sites opened the tournament with better USA futures odds (see below), but BetMGM ranks the best in every other factor.
And just days before the start of the World Cup, BetMGM signed US soccer star Tom Howard as a brand ambassador. As a brand ambassador, Tom Howard will interact with BetMGM customers, appear at public events, and introduce new promotions through social media.
Caesars World Cup Betting
- Many betting markets for each game but short on player props
- Special World Cup betting promotions
Caesars Sportsbook’s World Cup betting odds are average, but it comes up short in wagering options due to limited player props and no same-game parlays.
However, Caesars offers a generous welcome bonus and began offering World Cup betting promotions a full week ahead of the tournament.
DraftKings World Cup Betting
- Hundreds of betting markets for each World Cup game
- Extensive player props and game props
- Same-game parlays
- Integrated stats and betting trends for each game
The DraftKings World Cup menu offers the most granular wagering opportunities thanks to many player props, game props, alternative lines, and constant in-play wagering markets. In addition, a detailed stats and research tool offers previews of each game, stats for every team, betting trends, and line movements.
However, DraftKings could use more World Cup-specific promotions.
World Cup Betting Promotions
With the US Men’s National Team back in contention and online sports betting available to more than half the US population, competition is high for World Cup betting dollars. As a result, fans can look forward to bonuses, promotions, and other incentives from the nation’s most prominent names in online sports betting.
BettingUSA will maintain a running list of World Cup betting promotions here. Check back often for updates and special offers.
Free World Cup Bracket Contests
Sports betting and media companies run free World Cup bracket contests that pay real prizes to the fans who nail the most predictions. Both contests pay the biggest prizes for perfect World Cup brackets but offer secondary payouts for the players who come the closest.
$250,000 BetMGM World Cup Bracket Challenge
The BetMGM World Cup Bracket Challenge invited fans from all 50 states to submit their picks for a chance to win up to $250,000 or many other secondary prizes.
Anyone in the United States could participate, even if they live in states without legal online sports betting. Each contestant can submit one bracket entry.
FOX Super 6 $1 Million World Cup Bracket
The FOX Sports World Cup Bracket Challenge was free to enter and open to fans 18 or older in all 50 states, with a $1,000,000 top prize.
Where to Bet on the World Cup Online
Fans in most states can bet on the World Cup online legally with licensed sports betting apps.
The following map shows where it is legal to bet on the World Cup online, and in person:
States with Legal Sports Betting
Fantasy World Cup Predictions
Soccer fans in states that lack legal sports betting apps don’t necessarily have to miss out on the World Cup action. In many states, players can almost bet on the World Cup online through fantasy sports prediction sites like PrizePicks.
Fantasy prediction contests feel a lot like online sports betting, except they accept customers from more states. For example, a typical PrizePicks soccer contest involves making two or more over/under predictions against the house for a fixed payout – a lot like a standard parlay bet.
Other DFS prediction apps host similar over/under games, plus matchup contests in which players predict which of two athletes will accumulate the most of a specified stat.
Players can win up to 100 times their wagers with World Cup fantasy predictions, so the stakes are just as significant as with regular sports betting. Fans can read more about the most prominent sports predictions sites below:
How Much Will Americans Bet on the World Cup?
Predicting how much money Americans will bet on the World Cup is especially tough this year, even for seasoned industry analysts. Soccer betting usually pales in comparison to the other major US sports, but the World Cup marks a significant departure from the norm in several ways.
For one, soccer betting is legal in more states than not. Only three states had legal sports betting in place during the previous World Cup.
World Cup betting handle will undoubtedly increase, but the final tally is anyone’s guess. Working against the World Cup is its location on the US sports betting calendar. The World Cup must compete with the NFL, NBA, NHL, and college sports for customers’ wagering dollars.
Even John Murray, executive director of the famed SuperBook at Westgate Las Vegas, admitted to ESPN he had a tough time giving an estimate to his accounting team.
“I just told them that I don’t know what kind of action we’re going to get on World Cup games that are being played at two in the morning,” Murray told ESPN. “And what I really don’t know is how much of the action will be new and how much of it is going to be money that pulled out of what we would’ve done on football or basketball.”
However, not everyone has shied away from predicting total World Cup betting handle. The American Gaming Association recently estimated more than 20 million Americans will wager $1.8 billion on the World Cup.
That’s the result of a Morning Consult survey it commissioned several weeks before the start of the tournament. The survey found that nearly 10 million Americans will bet on the World Cup online, 6 million will place casual bets with friends, nearly 5 million will place wagers at retail sportsbooks, and 4.1 million will do business with underground bookies.
World Cup Betting FAQ
Wes Burns has more than a decade’s worth of experience as a writer, researcher and analyst in the legal gambling industry and is co-founder of BettingUSA.com. As a former professional online poker player, Wes approaches his work from the viewpoint of players.