FIFA World Cup wagering expected to be huge
FIFA World Cup on FOX
NEW YORK - The 2022 FIFA World Cup will be the first time New Yorkers can legally place bets on the tournament after the state legalized online sports betting in January.
Legal Sports Report's Mike Mazzeo said of the nine legal apps, FanDuel and DraftKings are among the most popular. New York's weekly mobile gaming report estimated FanDuel customers spent roughly $142 million just last week.
"There's opportunities to get involved now," FanDuel Sportsbook general manager Karol Corcoran said. "One of most popular markets is top goal-scorer for the tournament."
Corcoran wants people to know that betting on soccer is different from betting on American football or basketball. For one, in soccer, you can bet on ties — or draws as they're typically called.
"We want to educate customers as how it's listed, home and away teams, is different than what you're used to in football markets," Corcoran said.
The total spent on World Cup betting in 2018 was $155 billion, according to FIFA. What will happen this year in the U.S. is hard to say, especially since the games are in the middle of American football season. But Corcoran said they're excited to get new customers on board.
"Especially looking forward to the USA-England game, which falls on Black Friday, right in between Thanksgiving football, college football on Saturday," he said.
Mazzeo's advice for first-time mobile bettors is straightforward: do your research, bet responsibly, and then have some fun with it.