AUSTIN, Texas, June 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches (June 11), Americans are getting ready to bet. But a new consumer survey from SEON, the AI Command Center for Fraud Prevention and AML Compliance, reveals a disconnect between how much consumers plan to wager and how little they trust the platforms they’re wagering on.
Among 588 U.S. adults surveyed, 56% plan to watch the World Cup and 43% say they are at least somewhat likely to bet on the matches. Yet 45% say they are not confident that betting platforms can protect their personal and financial information during this type of high-traffic event.
Nearly a quarter of respondents (22%) admit to signing up for multiple betting accounts to access promotions, 20% have clicked on a betting link from social media or a messaging app, and 17% have used a friend or family member’s betting account. For betting platforms, each of these behaviors makes fraud harder to spot and easier to commit.
Prediction markets emerge as a mainstream betting channel
Licensed betting apps remain the most popular platform choice at 29%, with prediction markets emerging as a strong second option at 19%, ahead of social casinos (17%), crypto-based platforms (8%) and offshore sites (8%). Among Millennials specifically, prediction markets are nearly as popular as licensed apps. Thirty-six percent plan to use prediction markets versus 38% for licensed betting apps.
The data suggests that major sporting events are accelerating the adoption of prediction markets beyond their early-adopter base, particularly among younger bettors who are comfortable moving across multiple platform types.
Free bets are the biggest draw and the biggest risk
When asked what would motivate consumers to try a new betting platform, free bets and promotions topped the list at 36%, followed by ease of use (31%) and better odds (27%). For Gen Z, the draw is even stronger, with 44% saying free bets and promotions would be their primary motivator.
This creates a compounding problem for platforms. Promotions are the top driver of new account creation, and also the top reason consumers create multiple accounts.
Social media scams are already circulating
While the World Cup has not yet started, the scams have. Nearly a quarter of respondents (24%) say they’ve already seen social media scams related to World Cup betting. One in five (20%) have encountered fake ticket websites, and 18% report seeing fake betting apps or websites.
Gen Z is disproportionately exposed. Thirty-eight percent have seen social media betting scams and 33% have clicked on a betting link from social media or a messaging app. That combination of exposure and willingness to click makes younger bettors particularly vulnerable heading into a tournament that will dominate social feeds for weeks.
Millennials are the most trusting and the most likely to take risks
Millennials stand out as the generation most engaged with World Cup betting. Sixty-five percent are at least somewhat likely to bet on the matches, the highest of any generation. Only 24% say they don’t bet at all, the lowest of any group surveyed.
They’re also the most trusting. Among Millennials who bet, 77% say they are very or extremely confident that platforms protect their personal and financial information during major events. This is significantly higher than the overall average.
That confidence sits alongside the riskiest behavior of any demographic. Millennials are the most likely to have signed up for multiple accounts to access promotions (38%), the most likely to have shared personal information for a betting promotion (29%), and the most likely to use prediction markets (36%), social casinos (33%) and crypto-based platforms (16%).
Men are nearly twice as confident their data is safe
Men are more likely to bet on the World Cup than women (49% vs 35%) and nearly twice as confident that platforms will protect their information (44% vs 25%). Men also report higher rates of multi-accounting (23% versus 20%) and are significantly more likely to use licensed betting apps (37% versus 21%).
“The World Cup is going to put enormous pressure on betting platforms, and not just because of volume,” said Matt DeLauro, President, GTM, SEON. “We work with some of the largest betting and gaming operators in the world, and what we hear consistently is that the challenge isn’t just catching bad actors. It’s distinguishing between a real customer chasing a promotion and a coordinated fraud ring doing the same thing at scale. Consumers plan to bet, yet they don’t fully trust the platforms they’re betting on, and nearly a quarter are already engaging in behaviors like multi-accounting that make fraud harder to detect. That combination of high volume, low trust and blurred intent is what makes events like this so difficult to protect.”
Methodology
The SEON World Cup Survey was conducted online from May 22 to 25, 2026 among 588 U.S. adults aged 18 and older. The data was weighted to the U.S. population by nine demographic variables. The credibility interval for questions answered by all respondents is ±6 percentage points.
About SEON
SEON is the AI command center for real-time fraud prevention and AML compliance, helping thousands of companies worldwide stop fraud, reduce risk and protect revenue. Powered by 900+ real-time, first-party data signals, SEON enriches customer profiles, flags suspicious behavior and supports both rules-based and AI-driven decisioning. With integrated fraud and AML capabilities, SEON operates globally from Austin, London, Budapest and Singapore. Learn more at seon.io.
