FIFA Signs Betano as 2026 World Cup Betting Sponsor
NEW YORK – FIFA has signed Betano as a regional betting sponsor for the 2026 World Cup across Europe and South America.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:The deal deepens FIFA’s commercial ties with the gambling sector ahead of the expanded tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The value of the agreement was not disclosed. The 2026 World Cup will begin on June 11 and will feature 104 matches, making it the largest edition of the tournament to date. Betano, owned by Greece-based Kaizen Gaming, previously became the World Cup’s first betting sponsor through a Europe-only deal for the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
“Since we first partnered with Betano four years ago, we have seen a genuine commitment to sporting integrity, bringing fans closer to our game and finding new, engaging ways to entertain them”, FIFA chief business officer Romy Gai said.
FIFA Expands Betting Links Before 2026 Tournament
The Betano agreement is the latest in a series of gambling-linked commercial deals around the 2026 World Cup. FIFA is expected to generate more than $11 billion in revenue from the tournament cycle, with sponsorship and media rights forming a major part of that total.
Last month, prediction market company ADI Predictstreet signed as a top-tier World Cup partner in a deal reportedly worth $150 million. The company was founded shortly before the agreement and obtained a gambling licence in Gibraltar, according to reporting cited in the original article.
In January, FIFA also announced a deal with data company Stats Perform that will allow some online betting operators to livestream World Cup games. That agreement included exclusive betting rights to thousands of matches organised by national football bodies and streamed live by FIFA.
Together, the deals show how betting, data, prediction markets and live sports media are becoming more closely connected around major football events.
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Integrity Rules Remain in Focus
FIFA’s commercial expansion into betting-linked partnerships comes against the backdrop of its own ethics rules. The governing body’s code prohibits players, officials and agents from participating directly or indirectly in betting, gambling, lotteries or similar transactions connected to football matches or competitions.
That creates a sharp distinction between FIFA’s commercial sponsorship activity and the restrictions placed on people inside the sport. For betting companies, World Cup partnerships offer global visibility during one of the most watched sporting events in the world. For regulators and integrity officials, the growth of betting-linked deals raises familiar questions around advertising, player protection and match integrity.
Betano has also built a wider football sponsorship portfolio in recent years. The brand sponsored UEFA Euro 2024, backs the Europa League and appears on the shirt of English club Aston Villa.
The next stage will be how FIFA positions its betting and prediction-market partners during the tournament itself, particularly around advertising visibility, fan engagement and integrity messaging.
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