The 5 Best Gambling Games to Play During the World Cup

A World Cup captures the attention of tens of millions of people every four years. The tournament is always full of drama, like red cards, last-minute goals, penalty shootouts, and bust-ups between players and managers.

It’s hard to switch off between games, as many people just want the excitement to keep going. That’s where football-themed casino games come in, as they offer a casual way to keep the buzz going even when there’s no action on the television. To help you during the 2026 World Cup, here are some of the best gambling games to play.

5. Football-Themed Scratchcards

Instant scratchcards are the football equivalent of a quick throw-in, as they’re very fast and over within a few seconds. They often get a football makeover during the World Cup, so you’ll be scratching to reveal trophies, boots, and team crests for an instant prize. There’s no strategy and the wins will be modest.

4. World Cup Roulette

You'll find roulette gets a World Cup makeover. The live dealer versions will bring a lot of energy to your screen. You’ll watch a human spinning the wheel and attempting to bring some of the energy from a football game to your screen. The mechanics are the same, but the football styling makes it feel part of the wider occasion.

3. Football-Themed Slots

Slots are an important part of any online casino and developers hop on the World Cup buzz with a new range of football-themed options every four years. 

Titles like Le Football Fan and Big Bass Football Bonanza are spin-offs of popular games from leading studios like Pragmatic Play and Hacksaw Gaming. These types of slot games offer a high spectacle and are relatively effortless. You can even have a few spins in between games or during one of the water breaks.

2. Crash Games

This category has gotten very popular in recent years, starting with the emergence of Spribe’s Aviator. People love the level of control they get deciding when to cash out or when to keep riding their luck in an attempt to secure a bigger multiplier. 

Football-flavoured versions come to the fore during the World Cup, such as Football Crash Soccer and Samba Soccer.

1. Razed Penalty Shoot Out

Top of the list is the Penalty Shootout casino game made by Razed. Nothing else on this list comes close due to the level of anticipation you get with every penalty kick. The decision-making is also in your hands, as you can toggle the quality of the goalkeeper and where you're going to place the ball when shooting.

The base game offers multipliers up to 1,000x when you’re going for the riskiest shots. Then there’s the extra Panenka mode, where there’s a 5,000x multiplier if you’re feeling cheeky enough to try lobbing the keeper from the penalty kick. The ability to cash out as you please after each successful kick is another added perk.

Playing Smart

It’s easy to get ahead of yourself with the World Cup excitement and get caught up playing games. It’s important that you do so in a responsible manner. These games are designed to be fun and a type of entertainment, not being a way to make money.

A lot of people will also place sports bets on the World Cup action, so spending can quickly add up if you're not keeping an eye on everything. Crypto casinos like Razed offer a variety of account restriction tools to ensure that you’re not depositing too much or allowing you to take a break when needed.

That means you can enjoy the football gambling games and be in with a chance of earning some exciting multipliers along the way.