The match between Argentina and France in Qatar on Sunday attracted 7.9 million geolocation transactions. This was behind the 23.5 million of the Super Bowl, but ahead of the 5.1 million of the final game of the NBA season and the 4.8 million of the NCAA March Madness final. 

The 1.7 million active users betting on the 2022 World Cup final, which was won on penalties by Argentina, was the second highest of showcase finals, after the Super Bowl’s 3.1 million. It was, however, ahead of the two basketball finals and the Stanley Cup final of the NHL.

The 2022 World Cup represented the first since online sports betting was made available in the US following the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in 2018, which gave US bettors the opportunity to bet online with legal, regulated operators as opposed to unregulated offshore bookmakers.

It was also the first World Cup that featured both the USA and Canada, who will host the 2026 World Cup alongside Mexico. GeoComply noted that the most recent competition in Qatar generated huge interest in football in North America, with around one million new accounts created during the tournament.

“They say Americans don’t like soccer, but they certainly got a kick out of betting on the World Cup,” said Sam Basile, GeoComply VP of Business Development for North American Gaming. “GeoComply’s data disproves the myth that Americans are not interested in the beautiful game.”