The coming 2026 FIFA World Cup may present a challenge for online sports gambling, says Jumio’s latest Online Identity Study. The company conducted a survey among 8,003 adult consumers from the United States, the UK, Singapore, and Mexico.
Betting Interest Rises Before the Tournament
As the study suggests, one in three adults globally plan to engage in sports betting as part of their World Cup plans. Mexico showed the highest betting intent at 43%. After that comes the United Kingdom with 33%, Singapore with 29%, and the USA with 26%.
According to Jumio, 20% of those surveyed will interact with an online gaming platform for the first time during the World Cup. That poses challenges to the operators since they need to onboard new users, verify their identity, and confirm their age before accepting bets from them.
Consumers Put Responsibility on Platforms
Another finding from the survey is consumer concern about underage access. In all four countries covered by the research, 63% of the respondents stated that they were concerned about minors using sports betting apps during the World Cup. Furthermore, 74% of respondents believe that online platforms and their tech partners should be responsible for preventing underage betting. Only 7% disagree with the importance of stopping underage users’ access.
The concern is linked to how fans expect to follow the tournament. According to Jumio, 47% of the respondents consider betting on the matches a significant part of the fan experience. An additional 46% said they intended to socialize during the betting process.
Thus, sports betting is becoming an integral part of the fan experience. Betting discussions may also become more visible across social media, group chats, and match-day conversations.
Multiple Accounts Could Add Pressure
This report reveals yet another cause of stress: platform switching. As per findings by Jumio, 43% already have a sports betting account that they plan to use. Another 37% of respondents believe that they will be switching between various platforms during games.
This could mean heavier traffic during the time of important events for operators, while regulators may face an old dilemma about the strength of identity checks across different apps and markets.
Bala Kumar, president and chief product and technology officer of Jumio, noted that operators need layered identity and age verification checks that protect minors without causing unnecessary inconvenience to verified adults.
Main Takeaways
The World Cup may be a commercial opportunity for sportsbooks, but age verification is likely to sit near the center of industry scrutiny. Operators that treat checks as a basic compliance formality may face more pressure from users, regulators, and technology partners as betting activity rises.
