World Cup 2026: Crucial Sportsbook Performance and Stability

(AsiaGameHub) –   As the 2026 FIFA World Cup rapidly approaches, betting operators throughout Latin America are bracing for a significant increase in activity that will challenge all aspects of their operations.

This tournament is much more than a temporary demand spike; it serves as a crucial test for sportsbook functionality, regulatory compliance, and the stability of their platforms.

Leading industry professionals from across Latin America participated in a recent SBC webinar to explore the obstacles and prospects that sportsbooks will encounter during a massive summer of sports, which could also trigger an industry surge in the host countries.

Up-and-comer Mexico to shine?

While a potential industry boom in the US has been a frequent topic, Carolina Diniz Flauzino, Business Development Manager at SOFTSWISS, highlighted that Mexico could experience comparable growth.

She stated: “This year I see, even from the business side, a lot of interesting movements in Mexico.

“I think Mexico is going to be the next up-and-coming country globally that will boom this year and in the next few years, considering that physical operators are going to join the online casinos. For us, it’s a target market and it’s very relevant given that Mexico is hosting the World Cup this summer as it’s going to bring a lot of new attention.

“Hopefully, we will see more operators interested in our business and in our solutions, helping to increase our activity in Mexico too.”

Customer retention is key – but how will businesses achieve it?

A major question emerging in the sector is how companies—both operators and suppliers—will manage to keep the flood of new customers that will undoubtedly arrive during the World Cup.

For Fellipe Fraga, Chief Business Officer at Stellar Gaming, this is a familiar scenario.

“We’ve seen this before in previous World Cups and also in tournaments like the Copa America, so of course we are expecting an uplift.

“How we can measure retention is, as a data-driving company, by collecting data. It’s all about data analytics.”

Bruno Palumbo, Country Manager, Brazil at Gamewiz, added: “Here at Gamewiz, in terms of uplift, as a benchmark we are expecting at least 30% more volume than a usual major domestic tournament.

“For retention, as Fellipe said, it’s data. You need to monitor if your regular casino players are coming to the sportsbook because of the World Cup, and it’s the same with new players – how are they playing and what are the patterns?

“Having the data, studying the data, is a good measurement. I could name at least 100 different strategies on how to retain new users.

“On a main level, we should just work very hard on the CRM – what are these users doing when they’re on your site? The main strategy is finding out what customers really like about your website and how to keep them doing this.”

The fear of World Cup outages

When asked by SBC Noticias’ Business Journalist Damian Martinez about the impact of outages during critical moments, Fraga noted: “If you have something like this, it can be a huge problem. Players can feel like they’re being scammed.

“These big moments happen a lot, especially during the World Cup, so providers must be aware that this cannot happen.

“If it’s the last five minutes of a big game and you have no odds, or wrongly-balanced odds, yes you can void bets and dive into T&C’s, but it’s a hugely damaging situation for a brand’s image.”

Flauzino recalled her early career, when the introduction of VAR created significant issues for businesses during important matches.

“This is the World Cup, we’re now aware that these kinds of situations are going to happen all the time,” she said.

“It’s very important for operators to be aware of it and really train their teams. For this period, you really need to be stable and keep your customers happy so that you’re not damaging the image of the brand.”

Customer satisfaction is set to be a primary KPI for operators as they enter a period of intense activity, with the 2026 World Cup expected to drive significant advancements in the iGaming industry.