Sports bettors take on a similar mindset framework to those at the top level of sport, according to 1xBet Strategic Consultant Chris Bird.
Bird told SBC News that bettors are balancing emotions and cold hard facts, just like players and coaches at top football clubs approach matches and high-level tournaments.
Ahead of the World Cup 2026, Bird said that operators need to strike a balance to ensure that they cater to the emotion and enjoyment of football, but also that there is space for the analytical bettor.
“The emotion is about giving the fans what they want to see around the game, pre and post, in a controlled way,” Bird noted. “Whatever you do, tell them the facts, but make it entertaining.
“Around the world, there’ll be many people across different time zones watching this whole tournament, and different people at different times will go through different emotions. The real responsible operators will see that and understand how to deal with that.”
While Pep Guardiola is set to leave Manchester City this summer, bringing to an end a decade of historic success, Bird explained that he remains a phenomenon because of his ability to marry up the emotion with the analytical framework.
“Guardiola is a genius of intuition,” he added. “He feels what the player feels. He feels what the fans feel. But his team feeds him with the knowledge so he can mix the emotion with the science. Any brand working around this World Cup has to understand that. You’ve got all the intelligence that you require, and you know what people are doing at certain times and you need to tap into that emotion. But what you don’t do is abuse that emotion.”
That approach of twinning emotion and science mirrors bettors’ strategies during the World Cup. With some bettors simply wanting to bet on their own nation for fun, there are others who are more analytical in their betting habits. Bird noted that sportsbooks must be aware of those different segments and cater to them both responsibly.
“There are those who are following the xG and all the technical stuff that’s out there now and then you’ve got the lads and girls who will go to the pub at 10 o’clock on a Saturday night to watch one of these World Cup games with a group of friends.
“You can have all the analytics you want to know what the buying patterns are, how they will respond to certain offers… that’s great. But that’s in the background. At the front end, it’s all about the emotion.”
The World Cup is being billed as one of the biggest betting events of all time as the 2026 edition gets bigger than ever. With 48 teams and 104 matches over 39 days, volume is expected to reach record levels.
Bird concluded by noting that operators should focus on reaching those record levels in a responsible manner. By offering an entertaining product and engaging in responsible gambling, operators can enjoy the long-term benefits of what will likely be a key acquisition period.
“This is the biggest entertainment package on the planet for four weeks and people will get
immersed in it no matter what time of day they’re watching it. I think as brands, it’s about giving people all the information that they want in an entertaining way, being responsible and making sure that they’re looking after those customers, but never forgetting that this is the world of entertainment.”