The landscape of World Cup betting shifted dramatically during the 2026 tournament as prediction markets captured 27% of all legal sports gambling volume in the United States. Driven by platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket, event-based trading exchanges saw unprecedented growth, challenging traditional sportsbooks that previously dominated the sector. According to figures from H2 Gambling Capital, prediction markets expanded their share of soccer gambling activity from roughly 9% at the start of the year to 27% of total volume by the conclusion of the final match between Spain and Argentina. The overall rise in World Cup betting was anchored by…