The UKGC World Cup study, published by the UK Gambling Commission on 10 November 2026, found that first-time football bettors were the least informed group at the tournament: 60% felt they had the information they needed, against 91% of regular football bettors.
The UKGC released the Beyond the bet report as part of its Consumer Voice Research Programme. Yonder Consulting ran the online survey between 23 and 30 July 2026, after the final on 19 July. Of 1,000 initial respondents, 166 were removed for inconsistent answers, leaving 834 UK adults. The data is unweighted.
The regulator grouped respondents by betting experience, not by how often they bet. The sample holds 70 new football bettors (8%), 296 occasional bettors who bet on football only at the Euros or the World Cup (35%), and 468 existing bettors who also bet on club competitions such as the Premier League or the Champions League (56%). The Commission says the new-bettor results should be read with caution because of the small base.
Who bet, according to the UKGC
Men made up 71% of World Cup bettors and 43% were aged 35 to 54, the report shows. That profile is close to the Commission’s 2022 World Cup study (70% male, 42% aged 35 to 54), with one change: bettors aged 18 to 34 fell from 38% of the sample in 2022 to 26% in 2026.
The tournament drew more women than a normal football season. Women were 29% of World Cup bettors, against 15% of football bettors in the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) 2025, although the Commission notes the two surveys use different methods. New football bettors were 68% female and 40% aged 18 to 34. For 41% of them, the World Cup bet was the first bet of any kind.
Most respondents were not new to gambling. In the 12 months before the survey, 97% of existing, 93% of occasional and 87% of new football bettors had gambled on something other than football, with lottery draws the most common activity. Across the sample, 54% scored 0 on the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) and 11% scored 8 or more, the band classed as problem gambling.
How England’s run drove participation
Betting followed England’s progress. Existing bettors peaked in the group stage at 86%, occasional bettors reached 75% in both the group stage and the semi-finals, and new bettors peaked at 59% in the semi-finals. After England lost their semi-final, 47% of all respondents bet on the third-place play-off against France, down from 76% in the semi-finals.
The final between Spain and Argentina drew bets from 44% of new, 58% of occasional and 57% of existing bettors. Before the final, 42% of all respondents had bet only on England matches; among new bettors the share was 57%.
Fun or entertainment was the most cited reason to bet (44%), followed by trying to win money (33%). Existing bettors gave 3.5 reasons on average, and 42% of them said they enjoy betting on football in general, compared with 3% of new bettors. New bettors were the group most likely to bet because friends, family or colleagues were betting (21%). Promotions from gambling companies were a reason for 20% of existing bettors and 7% of new ones.
What new bettors relied on
Own knowledge or instinct guided 58% of bettors, well ahead of the odds on offer (21%). Reliance on personal judgement rose with experience: 39% of new bettors, 52% of occasional bettors and 66% of existing bettors.
New bettors were the most likely to bet with no information at all. In that group, 29% placed bets on the spur of the moment, against 16% of occasional and 8% of existing bettors, and 20% went on advice from friends, family or colleagues. Existing bettors used odds (29%), statistics websites (17%), in-play match events (14%) and information from operators (13%).
Seven per cent of World Cup bettors used artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help choose their bets, the same share in each experience group. Use fell with age, from 12% of 18 to 34 year olds to 6% of those aged 35 to 54 and 3.5% of those aged 55 and over. AI ranked fifth of 15 information sources for new bettors and twelfth for existing bettors.
Overall, 85% of respondents felt they had the information they needed. Among those who wanted more, just over a quarter asked for match data, such as player and team statistics, and expert analysis. About one in five said they lacked football knowledge and should have researched more. Few said they needed more detail on how bets or offers worked.
Do World Cup bettors understand betting offers?
Partly. Respondents were most confident about odds, bet builders and the wagering requirements on welcome bonuses, the report says. Acca insurance was the weakest point: 50% of all bettors answered “Don’t know” when asked whether it returns the full stake in cash if one leg loses, and 80% of new bettors did.
Offer use grew with experience. In the informed choice and comprehension chapter, 70% of existing bettors used at least one promotion, against 53% of occasional and 43% of new bettors. Free bets were the most used offer (37%), followed by price boosts (22%) and free bonus offers (19%).
More than half of new bettors answered “Don’t know” on most of the comprehension questions. Their lowest rates were on odds (34%), free bets (40%) and wagering requirements (46%). Existing bettors answered with the most confidence and the most correct answers, according to the Commission.
Among respondents who placed a bet using an offer, 35% did not look for more information first. Those who did mostly checked the odds (34%) or how much they could win (29%).
Will new bettors keep betting?
About one in four new football bettors (26%) said their World Cup experience made them likely to increase their football betting: 24% on future Euros and World Cups and 9% on domestic football. Among occasional bettors, 23% expected to bet more on domestic football. The Commission notes these are intentions at the time of the survey.
Across all respondents, 37% said they were more likely to bet on future Euros or World Cups and 19% on domestic football. Of all bettors, 78% enjoyed betting on the tournament; among new bettors the figure was 60%, with 30% neutral.
The regulator measured similar intentions two years earlier. In its Euro 2024 consumer research, 67% of respondents in the third survey wave said they intended to bet on the 2026 World Cup and 52% on the Premier League. The UK figures add consumer detail to World Cup 2026 betting volumes worldwide.
Next steps
The Commission said it will use the findings in its work on the licensing objective that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way. The study feeds two of its evidence themes: how gambling fits into different lives, and consumer comprehension of operator practices. The data tables have not been released yet; the regulator says they will be published in due course.
The study follows the regulator’s latest update on its illegal gambling crackdown and asset freezing.
Source: UK Gambling Commission
