Americans love to bet on sports.
- The FIFA World Cup: Global wagers on the tournament are expected to top $50 billion, with U.S. bettors placing roughly $3.1 billion.
- March Madness: Americans legally wagered an estimated $3.3 billion on the NCAA Division I basketball tournaments.
- Super Bowl: The biggest single-day betting events regularly see over $1 billion wagered on a single game.
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The 2026 FIFA World Cup is shaping up to be one of the biggest economic and sports betting events in history, creating potentially lucrative opportunities for investors.
As billions of fans tune in and wagering activity surges worldwide, sports betting stocks, online gaming companies, and related exchange-traded funds (ETFs) could see a significant boost in revenue and investor interest. For those looking to profit from the World Cup without placing risky bets, investments tied to the growing sports betting industry may offer a smarter and potentially more rewarding way to capitalize on the tournament’s global impact.
World Cup Momentum May Put DraftKings in the Spotlight
In fact, according to DraftKings (NASDAQ: DKNG), “Combined with our unified platform strategy, which allows customers to access either sportsbook or sports predictions, depending on location, and includes a Spanish-language feature, we believe the tournament has the potential to be a meaningful driver of both new customer acquisition and strong engagement across our existing customer base,” as quoted by CNBC.
In addition, according to analysts at Oppenheimer, who rate DKNG a buy, said the company’s push into prediction markets via the World Cup will serve as a trial run to prepare the platform for a rush of volume in the fall to coincide with the NFL season.
How Investors Can Approach Trading DKNG
Obviously, investors can buy DKNG stock, which has been aggressively bouncing back from its April low of $20.46 to a current price of $29.68.
But there are other ways to profit and, in some cases, collect yield.
The ETF That Monetizes DraftKings Price Swings
With an expense ratio of 0.99%, the YieldMax DKNG Option Income Strategy ETF (NYSEARCA: DRAY) last traded at $19.32 and is likely to gain even more traction with the World Cup.
While the fund does not directly invest in DraftKings, it does generate monthly income by selling/writing call options on DKNG. Even better, it pays a weekly dividend. Most recently, it paid out just over 18 cents per share on June 12. Before that, it paid out just over 21 cents on June 5. And before that, it paid out just over 32 cents on May 29.
A Closer Look at the BETZ Sports Betting ETF
Or, investors can jump into an ETF that invests in sports betting stocks. With an expense ratio of 0.75%, the $20 Roundhill Sports Betting & iGaming ETF (NYSEARCA: BETZ) offers diversification with Flutter Entertainment, Penn Entertainment, DraftKings, Churchill Downs, MGM Resorts, and many more. What’s nice about an ETF is that it offers greater exposure at less cost. Last trading at $20, we’d like to see it run back to $30 a share initially.
The FIFA Effect: What It Means for Sports Betting Stocks
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is expected to be one of the largest sporting events in history, attracting billions of viewers and generating significant betting activity around the globe. Whether through direct exposure to DraftKings, income-generating strategies like DRAY, or diversified exposure through BETZ, there are several ways to participate in the growth of sports betting. Also, as interest in online wagering expands, the World Cup could serve as a powerful catalyst for the companies and funds positioned to benefit from the surge in betting activity.
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