Why optimising your players’ live betting experiences is crucial for sportsbook success during the World Cup

Live betting will play a defining role in sportsbook success during the FIFA World Cup. From low-latency performance to personalised in-play journeys, explore the key factors that keep players engaged when it matters most. 

Few sporting events place as much demand on a sportsbook as a FIFA World Cup. With massive global audiences, high player engagement and a packed schedule of matches, the tournament consistently drives some of the highest betting volumes seen throughout the sporting calendar.  

With the tournament fast-approaching, operators are preparing for one of the most commercially significant events in sport. Among the many factors that will define success, optimising the live betting experience stands out as a critical lever for maximising player engagement and revenue.  

While pre-match betting remains an important part of the experience, the modern sportsbook is increasingly defined by live betting. Players now expect to be able to engage with every moment of the action, reacting in real time as matches unfold. For operators, this means that success during major tournaments depends not only on handling traffic, but on delivering a fast, reliable and feature-rich live product from kick-off through the final whistle. 

Why live betting is critical for sportsbooks during the World Cup 

International tournaments naturally produce the kind of drama that drives in-play engagement. Momentum swings, late goals, and high-pressure knockout matches all encourage players to stay active throughout the full duration of a match. 

The World Cup also attracts a broader audience than domestic competitions. Casual viewers and nationally motivated fans often engage alongside regular bettors, creating a high-energy environment where betting behaviour is closely tied to moments on the pitch. In this context, live betting plays a central role in capturing engagement as it happens. 

World Cup matches are built on constantly evolving scenarios across 90+ minutes, creating continuous opportunities for players to engage with live and in-play betting markets. This is further amplified during knockout matches, where the stakes are higher and each moment carries greater significance. 

Data from Kambi’s latest Sports Betting Trends Report examined recent competitions to show just how important the closing stages have become. During the Nations League final in 2025, extra time and penalties accounted for 32% of total match time but generated 36% of all live bets, making them the most active periods of the entire match. These moments also saw the highest levels of player reactivation, highlighting the importance of maintaining a strong live offering when interest is at its peak.  

Betting activity from the same match showed clear spikes in bets-per-minute during extra time and penalties, with engagement levels exceeding most periods of regular time. For operators, these high-drama scenarios represent some of the most valuable opportunities for the tournament, but only if the live experience can keep pace with demand. 

In an environment where multiple operators are competing for attention, even small friction points can have a significant impact. If live betting is not seamless, players are more likely to switch platforms at the exact moment they are most valuable. 

Maximising player engagement with live betting experiences 

To fully capitalise on World Cup live betting traffic, operators must ensure their live betting experience is optimised across several key areas. 

Low latency to keep players in the moment 

Live betting is driven by seconds, making low latency a critical component of sportsbook performance. Even minor delays can lead to price changes, bet rejections and player frustration, increasing the likelihood of session drop-off. At Kambi, we’ve introduced dynamic live delays allowing low or zero latency during low-risk gamestates, such as when the ball is out of play, safe, or during water breaks and half time. 

A faster platform enables more bets per minute, higher acceptance rates and increased trust, helping operators build stronger relationships with players and drive long-term engagement. 

Intuitive interfaces to reduce friction 

During live matches, players are both emotionally engaged and time pressured, meaning they are less tolerant of complexity. Poor navigation or unclear market presentation can quickly disrupt the experience. 

Operators should prioritise intuitive in-play interfaces, including quick-bet functionality, clear layouts and the prominent display of high-interest markets. This allows players to act quickly and confidently, improving both engagement and conversion. 

Personalised journeys to drive continuous engagement 

Not all players engage in the same way, particularly during a global event like the World Cup. Personalisation plays a key role in surfacing relevant content and maintaining engagement throughout the match. 

By tailoring the experience based on preferred teams, market types and previous in-play behaviour, operators can deliver more relevant betting opportunities and increase the likelihood of continued activity. 

Dynamic market optimisation to keep things fresh 

Live betting experiences should feel responsive and dynamic. Updating and rotating markets based on match context, highlighting trending bets and introducing micro-markets all help maintain player interest. 

This ensures the product evolves alongside the action on the pitch, keeping players engaged throughout the full lifecycle of a match. 

How sportsbook operators can optimise live betting during extra time and penalties 

To fully capitalise on the spike in engagement seen during knockout football, operators need a live betting experience that remains fast, reliable and feature-rich even in the most intense moments of a match.  

Kambi’s market-leading extra-time and penalties offering is designed to ensure sportsbook operators can maintain full coverage during these decisive moments. With comprehensive market depth throughout extra time and penalty shootouts, operators can continue to offer a wide range of betting opportunities at the exact point when player interest is at its highest.  

Powered by cutting-edge AI pricing and automated trading, the solution delivers highly accurate odds with the speed required to keep pace with rapid momentum changes. Unique markets during shootouts, including next penalty scored, sudden death outcomes and other situational bets help keep players engaged through every kick. 

This functionality is available across Kambi’s end-to-end sportsbook solution, as well as through Odds Feed+, which delivers Kambi’s premium pricing through a single API and gives operators the flexibility to enhance their existing sportsbook with additional live capabilities when they need them most.  

Live betting optimisation will define World Cup success 

With live betting traffic expected to surge during the FIFA World Cup, the ability to deliver a seamless live betting experience throughout the most dramatic moments of the tournament will be a key differentiator for operators.  

More knockout matches, more extra time and more penalty shootouts mean more opportunities to engage players, but also greater risk for sportsbooks that cannot maintain speed, accuracy and market depth under pressure.  

Operators that can keep their live product active and engaging from the first minute to the final penalty will be best positioned to maximise turnover, retention and long-term player value during football’s biggest event.