With the 2026 World Cup taking over, it's safe to say that this has led to a ton of movement for California sports betting. However, with things still not being legalized, residents are forced to go the prediction markets route. And with that, the World Cup betting numbers should be eye-opening for California officials right now. That's because the latest projections have things in the $50 billion range for a total handle.

That's hard to believe, but those are the numbers worldwide, which make a ton of sense. As of this writing, there are only eight teams left, as the quarterfinals have officially arrived. With things starting to slow down in terms of the total action, it doesn't take away from the fact that countless more bets are going to be on the way. So, just how much is the total going to end up hitting once it's all said and done? It will be interesting to see how things play out there.

"The 2026 FIFA World Cup is setting records as sports betting outlets worldwide report unprecedented activity," IHeartRadio wrote in a new report. "Analysts estimate that global wagers have reached a staggering $50 billion, making this tournament the biggest betting event in history. In the United States alone, Americans are expected to wager over $3 billion on the matches, largely driven by the popularity of online sports betting apps."

So, in the USA alone there's an estimated $3 billion in total expected to be wagered on one single sporting event? That's incredibly telling and it speaks to the popularity of sports betting in the country. And for California in specific, it should make politicians realize now more than ever that the state is missing out on a ton of potential tax revenue with the longer it holds out in getting things across the line here. Will history be made soon? It's hard to tell.

France remains the clear favorite to win the 2026 World Cup

As you might have been able to guess, France remains the clear favorite to win the 2026 World Cup, as they have been on a tear thus far in the tourney. Led by Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise and others, France has looked fantastic in the World Cup and the Vegas oddsmakers seem to strongly believe they'll be ready to go on a further deep run. Things are going to get tough for them in the quarterfinals, though, as Morocco is up next.

Leading up to that showdown, France holds +180 soccer betting odds to win the World Cup this summer. They're of course not the only ones with great odds, as Spain and Argentina are right behind them. With Argentina in particular, people are always going to have interest in betting/supporting Lionel Messi, and the same could be said for people in California. A good chunk of bets in California have been on both France and Argentina, respectively.

“There’s been a certain bitterness for a few years now since the last final, but that’s part of the game,” France goalkeeper Robin Risser said recently on the reported grudge that stands between Argentina and France. “If these (Argentinian) referees are there, it’s because they’re up to the level of the competition.”

With less than 10 total games left in the World Cup, we are getting closer to seeing who wins it all. And with that, people will be racing to get their wagers in before it's too late. Things are a bit different for California as overall sports betting is not legal, but people keep finding loopholes to make things work.

Prediction markets keep dominating California headlines for the World Cup

With all of that said, it's safe to say that prediction markets keep dominating California headlines for the World Cup. That's because the betting numbers in the state have been quite high, and all of the bets online are typically made through Kalshi and others. As things stand, there are no legal options in the state the normal way.

This is something that local Californians are hoping can get changed in the near future, but it still seems like 2028 is going to be the earliest that the laws will be changed. Again, though, all of this big-time World Cup betting should be raising eyebrows among those in charge of moving things in the right direction. Could a new sports betting bill get produced sooner rather than later too? This is what countless betting fans are hoping for.

Despite that, no one knows when things will move forward in that regard. Until then, the prediction markets are going to continue making a ton of headlines, as lawmakers are not happy with the markets continuing to be in such a strong position in terms of local betting. The fix there would be to legalize online sports betting, but things are surely easier said than done there.