FanDuel builds biggest-ever World Cup generosity program

• FanDuel expects World Cup wagering to exceed the roughly $400 million it took in during the Super Bowl, making the tournament its biggest-ever betting event.
• The sportsbook spent 7 months preparing its World Cup proposition, drawing on Flutter-group products including Super Sub and 120-minute markets.
• A new loyalty platform supports the campaign, designed to deliver personalized rewards to customers throughout the tournament.

FanDuel has launched its largest-ever generosity program around the 2026 FIFA World Cup, drawing on products and experience developed across Flutter Entertainment’s global portfolio.

Beyond the Super Bowl

Aman Gupta, Senior Vice President of Growth at FanDuel, said the company expects World Cup wagering to exceed the roughly $400 million FanDuel took in during the Super Bowl.

“Around $400m was wagered with FanDuel during the Super Bowl. We’re targeting a lot more than that across the World Cup – and a big step up from what we saw in Qatar in 2022. It will be 40 days of true excitement.”

Independent projections support that outlook. Deutsche Bank projects $3.3 billion in US World Cup handle, with FanDuel expected to capture approximately $1.3 billion. Macquarie estimates global legal wagers could exceed $50 billion, up from more than $35 billion in 2022.

The expanded 48-team format adds volume that did not exist in Qatar. Flutter expects around 10 million customers across its brands to place bets, with total stakes expected to double those of the previous edition.

Flutter Edge in practice

FanDuel spent seven months preparing its World Cup proposition. A dedicated soccer category team now owns the end-to-end customer experience, a structure Gupta compared to how consumer goods companies reorganized around product categories.

Gupta said:

“Consumer goods companies shifted from a functional structure to a category structure. In our case, the categories are the different sports, so a soccer category team is now in charge of the through-line across all elements of the proposition at FanDuel.”

The proposition includes products developed across Flutter’s global portfolio. Super Sub transfers an active bet to a substitute player if the original selection leaves the field, a feature pioneered by Sisal before being adapted for the US market. 120-minute markets keep bets live through extra time.

Gupta said:

“The Flutter Edge has given us the opportunity to put our best foot forward for the World Cup this year. Both through things like Super Sub and the 120-minute markets, and general know-how and experience with soccer bettors.”

Joseph Cundall, Commercial Director at FanDuel, said:

“For all the time the U.S. has been live, this is the clearest example yet of the Flutter Edge in action. There’s been a real collaborative effort to produce a compelling proposition for U.S. soccer fans, whether they are new to the sport given the World Cup or already interested in it.”

Generosity as strategy

FanDuel’s approach draws on the framework Flutter has applied across its global portfolio. Barni Evans, CEO of Flutter APAC, outlined the philosophy at the group’s most recent Investor Day.

“When we deliver better customer experiences, we’re repaid with bigger handle volumes, higher structural hold, and ultimately sustainable revenue growth.”

Evans said the approach requires three things: being customer-led, continually innovating, and deploying generosity efficiently.

“When we do those things in concert, customers tell us that their engagement in sport gets even more exciting. The generosity they receive is intuitive and easy to use. It feels personalized to them as individuals, and ultimately, they feel like they’re getting a fair deal.”

For new customers, FanDuel is offering up to $350 in bonus bets after wagering $5 or more across seven days. The Every Goal Pays promo credits bonus bets to existing users for each goal scored in a selected match. The campaign is also supported by a new loyalty platform designed to deliver personalized rewards.

The program arrives at a challenging moment for Flutter. FanDuel cut several hundred sportsbook jobs in early June as Flutter restructured US leadership following the departure of CEO Amy Howe in May.

Wedbush Securities, which initiated US coverage with an outperform rating and a $138 price target, expects the World Cup to close performance gaps and drive share gains for FanDuel.