According to the report, the value of bets on the famous prediction platform “PolyMarket” alone amounted to about $1.8 billion before the opening match in Mexico, in addition to $120 million through the “Calci” platform, which is licensed in the United States, and which recently launched its advertising campaign with the help of Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho.
This record jump, according to estimates by the Australian Macquarie Financial Group, is due to the increase in the number of teams participating in this World Cup edition from 32 to 48 teams, which increased the number of matches and opened what forecasting company managers described as “the largest betting opportunity in history.”
The group expects the total bets throughout the tournament to exceed $50 billion, compared to $35 billion in the 2022 Qatar World Cup, at a rate that could reach $500 million per match.
On the other hand, human rights and judicial warnings are increasing. Gambling risk awareness agencies have warned of the consequences of sliding towards “betting addiction,” while the predictions market is subject to strict scrutiny and inspection by American judicial authorities, especially after the expansion of the scope of platforms to include betting on hot international disputes and fears of facilitating new forms of market manipulation based on internal leaks.
