iGaming Market Weekly Report: June 15-21, 2026

The second week of the 2026 FIFA World Cup further shifted the landscape of global betting demand, but the market dynamics were more dispersed than in the opening stages of the tournament.

Latin America continued its reign over upside market action, supplying 3 of the top 5 gainers while an outlier Japan moved to the top of this list thanks to regulatory developments coupled with on-field betting engagement. For downsides, action was concentrated primarily on post-NBA normalization in the US market and robust government enforcement across regulated and grey markets.

Top 5 Gainers of the Week

US-Arizona (+71.4%)

The perfectly regulated sports betting in Arizona picked up on the interest from the World Cup. The USMNT’s 4-1 defeat over Paraguay on June 12 led the charge in driving up searches throughout the week. Each day features up to 3 or 4 matches taking place so the cycle of activity never fully dies.

Japan (+62.7%)

On June 15, the cryptocurrency exchange Bitbank took action to lock accounts involved in prediction market Polymarket due to speculation over breaches to Japanese gambling regulations. This sparked a large media response domestically with regards to the legaility of sports betting.

Bolivia (+56.6%)

Not playing in the 2026 tournament but it continues to lead the pack for betting based around football. Sport Betting is the top gambling Vertical within the nation, whilst Bolivian customers utilize offshore betting operators to conduct bets on the international sport.

Costa Rica (+54.4%)

Another participant not qualified for the upcoming tournament, Costa Rica has been a huge market for betting on sport, especially in conjunction with this particular sport as well as sparking increased debate into Bill 25.600.

Peru (+34.4%)

For another week in a row it is the South American nations making an appearance in our table, this coming after the 85% increase previously listed.

Top 5 Decliners of the Week

US-South Carolina (-37.5%)

Another one of the US states in the market to lack regulated sports betting. Betting related interest may have spiked with the initial world cup excitement, but fell off dramatically following the conclusion of the NBA finals on June 13.

Turkey (-24.1%)

In one of their largest coordinated attacks against illegal gambling activities throughout the country, some 34 authorities across several provinces this week targeted operations identifying over $103.7 million worth of suspicious account movements to betting syndicates, leading to the detention of 293 suspects.

US-New York (-18%)

Despite holding one of the largest legal sport betting regulated betting markets on the planet, this once large positive market plunged significantly this week after sportsbooks faced the first loss as a weekly result of this regulation on sportsbooks. Sports betting operators on June 14 slashed spend following steep losses on NBA games, slashing promotions and subsequent advertising spend for acquisition purposes despite the growing interest with the world cup ongoing.

Montenegro (-12.7%)

Legal proceedings were one key feature of this markets decline, having brought criminal charges against an operator for utilizing unauthorized betting terminals, it brings the country to over 450 unlicensed online gambling sites banned since June 25, 2025.

Switzerland (-10%)

On Tuesday, June 11, increased efforts were made to identify unauthorized gambling websites that are being blocked by local internet providers, thereby taking action by expanding the reach of their domain-blocking order.

Market Spotlight: US – Arizona (+71.4%)

Arizona exhibited the greatest increase in betting demand across regulated US markets on account of a serendipitous overlap of two prominent sporting events. The coverage period began immediately after the NY Knicks became NBA champions and the USMNT routed Paraguay 4-1 in their FIFA World Cup curtain-raiser – June 13 and June 12 respectively. Rather than detracting from each other’s fanfare, these two sporting events compounded their appeal to bettors. Arizona’s 14 licenced sportsbooks were prepared for the major event by pre-existing extensive World Cup bet menus, offering futures, live-betting markets, and group stage games, allowing for a smooth transition from the basketball league as play reduced.

Arizona’s rise further demonstrates the importance of sustainable regulated betting markets when one popular sporting event has ended and another is underway, it can smoothly take over market share from an engagement perspective – especially when operators already possess the technological infrastructure to exploit this transition.

Original source: Blask.com

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