Home News UKGC World Cup Study Finds 7% of Bettors Used AI to Inform Bets

UKGC World Cup Study Finds 7% of Bettors Used AI to Inform Bets

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Altay Celikkaya

Content Manager

Updated: 10/11/26

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has published new research revealing that 7% of people who bet on the 2026 FIFA World Cup used artificial intelligence (AI) to inform their betting decisions. Released on 10 November 2026, the study also identifies significant differences in betting confidence between first-time and experienced football bettors.

The findings highlight how emerging technologies, promotional offers and betting experience influence consumer behaviour during major sporting events.

Gambling Commission research on AI betting trends at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Reports

Key Takeaways From the UKGC's 2026 World Cup Research

Around 7% of World Cup bettors used AI to help decide which bets to place, rising to 12% among those aged 18–34.
First-time football bettors represented 8% of World Cup bettors, while occasional bettors accounted for 35%.
Only 60% of new football bettors felt sufficiently informed to make betting decisions, compared with 91% of experienced bettors.
Consumers understood welcome bonus wagering requirements more confidently than accumulator insurance offers.
Approximately one in four new bettors expected to increase their football betting following the tournament.

AI Influences Betting Decisions Among Younger Players

According to the UKGC’s official Beyond the Bet research, AI is emerging as an additional source of information for sports bettors. While 7% of respondents reported using AI to inform their selections, adoption varied considerably across age groups.

Among bettors aged 18–34, usage reached 12%, compared with 6% among those aged 35–54 and 3.5% among those over 55. However, traditional decision-making remained dominant, with 58% relying primarily on personal knowledge or instinct.

The findings indicate growing interest in AI-assisted betting but do not establish whether such tools improve prediction accuracy or betting outcomes.

First-Time Bettors Report Lower Decision-Making Confidence

The research found substantial differences in how confidently consumers approached football betting. Only 60% of first-time bettors believed they had sufficient information to make betting decisions. This increased to 83% among occasional bettors and 91% among regular football bettors.

The report said:

New football bettors were the least likely to feel they had the information they needed to make betting decisions.

These findings reinforce earlier UKGC research on informed gambling choices, which examined how effectively consumers understand gambling information and risks.

Betting Promotions Present Comprehension Challenges

The study also examined consumers’ understanding of promotional offers. Respondents expressed greater confidence in understanding betting odds and wagering requirements attached to welcome bonuses than accumulator insurance promotions.

This distinction matters for sportsbook operators offering increasingly complex promotional products. Separate research into World Cup betting engagement has also examined how major tournaments influence player behaviour beyond individual matches.

What the Findings Mean for Sportsbook Operators

The UKGC’s findings suggest that operators should consider differences in betting experience when assessing promotional clarity, customer communication and product design.

The report also found that approximately one-quarter of first-time football bettors expected to increase their betting on other football competitions following the World Cup.

However, these responses indicate intentions rather than confirmed future behaviour.

The findings complement earlier research into sportsbook advertising and gambling risks, highlighting the importance of understanding how promotional information influences consumers.

Yonder Consulting conducted the UKGC study as part of its Consumer Voice Research Programme. Its findings provide insight into World Cup betting behaviour but should not be interpreted as nationally representative estimates of gambling participation.