World Cup 2026 Drives LatAm iGaming Growth, Non-Participants Outpace Qualifiers

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, held across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, has significantly boosted iGaming demand in Latin America, according to data from analytics firm Blask. While the tournament ran from June 11 through the end of the month, its impact on gambling interest extended well beyond the eight qualifying nations from the region.

Non-participants lead the surge

Blask's Blask Index, which tracks user interest in iGaming across 18 Latin American markets, recorded a 7.2% month-over-month increase in June, compared to a negligible 0.2% rise in the same period last year. Notably, two non-qualifying countries—Costa Rica and Bolivia—topped the global ranking for index growth, both more than doubling their scores. In Bolivia, 17 of 134 active operators at least doubled their index, while Costa Rica saw 11 such brands, including market leader DoradoBet. Among the top ten countries worldwide for month-over-month index growth, eight are Latin American, but only two—Panama and Uruguay—actually participated in the World Cup.

Declines in Brazil and Colombia

Despite football's deep roots in the region, not every market benefited. Brazil, which accounts for roughly two-thirds of Latin American iGaming demand, saw its Blask Index dip 1.5% in June. The drop was driven entirely by the licensed segment, while offshore operators actually posted a 2.8% gain. Colombia experienced an even sharper decline, with its index falling 15%, largely because unlicensed operators lost more than half their demand, and onshore brands dropped 10.2%. The country's largest brand, BetPlay—which represents over half of Colombian iGaming demand—saw its index plunge 46.9%.

Overall picture

The aggregated Blask Index for the other six qualifying nations rose 20.3% in June. Among them, host country Mexico recorded the smallest increase, with mixed results among its top ten operators: Bet365 lost 31.3% while Playdoit surged 59.4%. Blask's analysis concludes that the World Cup lifted demand across Latin America regardless of national team participation, with the strongest growth coming from markets that never qualified. The two declines—Brazil and Colombia—had opposing structures, with Brazil's fall concentrated in licensed brands and Colombia's in unlicensed operators.