During the 2018 World Cup, there were only three U.S states, namely Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware, that had legal sports betting markets. The number has risen significantly in the last four years; as of 2022, there are 31 states now that have legal sports betting market in the U.S.

The date for upcoming NFL and college football in the U.S coincides with the FIFA World Cup in Qatar for the first time and is sure to see increased betting across the country for the next few weeks.

FanDuel CCO Mike Raffensperger told Axios, “Between the activity we forecast from our NFL customers and the new activity from people betting on the World Cup, we anticipate November to be a strong month.”

According to the American Gaming Association report, more than 20 million people will be partaking in gambling activities this year. The total spending by them is estimated to be around $1.8 billion.

The report also said that three in 10 people, which is about 29%, said yes to betting on the FIFA World Cup when asked. When talking about which country they’ll be betting on, 24% said they will be betting on America, and 19% said Brazil.

A task force combining Interpol and the FBI is also going to keep an eye on the betting market for potential match-fixing during the whole FIFA World Cup in Qatar. This is the first time the FBI and Interpol will be foreseeing the FIFA World Cup.

While these government bodies are at work in the U.S, people are also advised to be cautious of overspending on bets.

According to Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council, “Gambling is a hidden addiction; there are not as many outward signs, there’s no substance in gambling, so people misunderstand it as a moral or an issue of weak will.”