World Cup 2026 Betting Volume in Africa Could Exceed $10 Billion

^{Pictured: Mohamed Salah, Egypt National Team}

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has generated strong betting interest among African bettors, iGaming Expert reported, citing data from research platform GeoPoll.

According to the survey, 52% of respondents in African countries said they had bet on football before the start of the tournament.

The highest figures were recorded in Kenya — 64%, Ghana — 60%, South Africa — 58% and Nigeria — 54%.

In Egypt, the share of such respondents stood at 25%. The lower figure may be linked to the country’s religious and legal context: Egypt has strict restrictions on gambling for local residents, while attitudes towards betting are largely shaped by Islamic norms.

Kenya has become one of the most active markets, even though its national team did not qualify for the World Cup. In Nigeria, interest in the tournament has also remained strong despite the national team’s absence: football remains one of the country’s most popular sports, and betting on matches has become a familiar practice for some fans.

Interest in individual African national teams is also influenced by the popularity of players who play in the English Premier League.

Egypt’s national team is attracting additional attention thanks to Mohamed Salah of Liverpool, while Ghana is drawing interest because of Antoine Semenyo of Manchester City.

Ahmed Jokotoye, head of Betano’s retail operations in Nigeria, told iGaming Expert that betting on underdogs and high-payout markets emerged as a notable trend at the start of the tournament. According to him, some bettors are choosing riskier outcomes with higher odds rather than only backing obvious favourites.

According to financial group Macquarie, global betting volume on the 2026 World Cup is likely to exceed $50 billion. African markets, iGaming Expert noted, could account for more than $10 billion of that amount.