2026 is set to be a significant year for sports betting. Despite well-documented headwinds, sportsbook operators can look toward the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a mix of excitement, caution, and plans on how to deliver the most entertaining and engaging experience to their audience.
One company gearing up its solutions to the upcoming World Cup is Soft2Bet, a global platform and turnkey provider across the casino and sportsbook verticals.
Earlier this year, the company announced Diego Simeone as brand ambassador for Betinia and CampoBet, two of its sportsbook focused brands. This coincides directly with the launch of MEGA11, the company’s new gamification engine featuring football engagement tools.
To discuss upcoming launches, including MEGA11, the Diego Simeone partnership and Soft2Bet’s World Cup plans, SBC News visited Soft2Bet’s stand at ICE to speak with Yoel Zuckerberg, the company’s Chief Product Officer.
‘We want to work with the best’
Zuckerberg noted that a new brand ambassador was needed for Betinia and that the launch of MEGA11 made a football coach a natural fit. They needed someone with a high profile in Europe, known for their relentless drive to win.
“We strongly believe our MEGA platform has everything needed to significantly improve retention, both for our own business and as a B2B supplier for other operators,” he commented. “When we started working with Diego Simeone, we were inspired to see his clear vision for achieving excellence with his team, enabling them to compete with the very best.”
“His vision perfectly aligned with ours, which is to be the best in our industry. After that, the magic was there and it made real sense to bring that into Betinia and also CampoBet in all the markets.”
Driving loyalty with the power of football
Simeone’s collaboration with Soft2Bet comes as the company is bringing the MEGA11 gamification module to market. The latest MEGA tool is designed to create a retention loop, allowing players to use rewards from their bets to complete challenges and progress through the MEGA journey.
MEGA11 is built around football management, allowing players to build a football team, add new players, and win matches to become one of the world’s greatest teams.
The engine was built with loyalty intrinsically in mind, and extensive research was conducted during the development stage. One key driver of the theme was the popularity of football management-style video games.
Zuckerberg explained: “The longest session of gameplay is on Football Manager games, based on long research we made into the gaming space, because we strongly believe that combining both worlds together can be a winning combination in our industry. That’s why we took that niche.
“It’s not only a belief, now it’s proven. Following extensive A/B testing, we launched it on our Betinia brand and found that most players on either the sportsbook or the casino love football. They watch football, they play football, they bet on sportsbooks.”
Both sportsbook and casino users have interacted with MEGA11 during testing, and the mechanic is now available to Betinia users in Sweden.
Zuckerberg stated that initial results are positive and that Soft2Bet expects even greater results in other jurisdictions as the rollout continues. This is because, in his view, players don’t interact with these mechanics solely for bonuses, but for enjoyable experiences.
“At the end of the day, gambling is about enjoyment and entertainment. We want the customers to come to us and feel that there is something that they will not find somewhere else – a unique, engaging experience. We want the customers to be loyal to us, and for us to be known with those mechanics that we are bringing to the table that none of the other operators are doing in the market.”
World Cup fever hits overdrive
MEGA11 is also hitting the market as football fans everywhere count down the days until June 11, when the World Cup kicks off in Mexico City.
Of course, it was no coincidence that Soft2Bet released the mechanic to line up with the World Cup countdown – it was a carefully thought-out decision to tap into players’ unquenchable thirst for football content.
It is designed to support both Soft2Bet’s in-house brands and Soft2Bet partners on a B2B basis.
The conversation soon turned directly to the World Cup itself. The world’s most bet-on competition offers operators a bigger opportunity than ever in 2026, with more teams and more games than ever before. Though some less competitive teams may be in the tournament, betting interest is likely to remain sky high.
This means sportsbook platforms must be robust enough to handle the increased demand. Uptime must be perfect and the trading room has to be sharp – if either of those fails, there is a big problem.
Zuckerberg is aware of this and is adamant that Soft2Bet’s sportsbook is more than capable of meeting the demands.
“It’s not our first World Cup. Our platform has been live for a few World Cups, the Euros, and other major events. We know the volumes are growing in all the markets that we operate in. So from a technology perspective, everything is ready. There is no doubt about that.”
With sportsbook CPAs rising, MEGA11 is entering the market amid significant focus on retention. Additionally, Zuckerberg states that casino CPAs remain more stable and that MEGA11 remains popular with casino players, giving Soft2Bet and its partners an edge.
“When everyone will be focused on bringing traffic to football, we might focus on bringing traffic from other verticals to benefit from that World Cup, because we have that gamification as well, and it can bring additional interest for those customers as well to come and play with us.”
The World Cup is a truly global event and Soft2Bet is a truly global business. One key function the platform must perform is to be properly localised for each market.
Zuckerberg, as product lead, is acutely aware of this and ensures that his global teams are attuned to local customs, needs, and cultures.
He explains: “The mentality of each market and its players is completely different, and we need to adapt and localise the product. It’s a time-consuming process. Even if you already operate in that market, you need to bring new approaches and insights, and take the pulse to understand what’s happening.”
With the FIFA World Cup now firmly in view, Soft2Bet is using 2026 to sharpen both product and brand execution. The Diego Simeone partnership gives Betinia and CampoBet a high-profile football anchor, while the rollout of MEGA11 is designed to keep players engaged beyond individual campaigns and matchdays across its B2C brands and B2B partners.