Gambling group estimates U.S. will bet $1.8B on World Cup final
The estimated total for the World Cup final in July and August is forecast to be $1.8 billion, according to a report from the National Gambling Impact Study, released Monday. The study was commissioned by the National Gambling Impact Review, a nonprofit group that provides data about gambling and gambling behaviors across the country.
The research, which involved the collection of data from the 2012 State Gambling Impact Study, found that U.S. fans were likely to win or lose an average of $200 on average in the final. The country finished in second place in the World Cup, losing its quarterfinal match in the process. And the team’s average win was more than $60 million.
The study also estimated that 75 percent of U.S. betting would be placed on the final.
“Given our research, it seems clear that the World Cup final will be one of the biggest events in U.S. and global betting,” said John Dvorak, the president and CEO of the National Gambling Impact Study, in a prepared statement.
One of the reasons for the high number of bets was the amount of money available on the final, Dvorak said. The study found there’s an estimated $400 million added to the final pot when fans bet on their teams.