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.