Yevhenii Ilchenko, DATA.BET: “The trend toward fast betting will continue to grow. The data shows players don’t want to wait”

In an exclusive interview with Focus Gaming News, DATA.BET’s Yevhenii Ilchenko discusses player behaviour, the 2026 World Cup’s impact, and industry growth.

Exclusive interview.- Yevhenii Ilchenko, head of sports at DATA.BET, talks through what the tournament showed about player behaviour, why statistical markets are no longer a niche add-on, how the company’s first year in sports betting held up under peak load, and what operators should already be doing ahead of 2030.

FIFA World Cup 2026 has now come to an end. Looking back, what were your biggest takeaways from both a sports and betting perspective? Did the tournament meet your expectations?

I’d say the tournament far exceeded my expectations. Ahead of the World Cup, we ran our projections, mapping out what we expected to see in turnover and profit. The actual results beat even our boldest scenario, coming in 33 per cent above our turnover projection and 15 per cent above on profit. I’ve been thrilled by the overall quality of football and the number of tightly contested matches, as much as by the betting volumes and the level of user interest. At first, it seemed the new format and 104 matches would be too long and not very engaging, but who wasn’t captivated by the 0-0 between Spain and Cape Verde, with a single foul from the Africans all game, or the 1-1 between Portugal and DR Congo?

DATA.BET has access to valuable betting data across its client network. What were some of the most interesting player behaviours or betting trends you observed throughout the tournament? Were there any surprises?

Since only one match was played at a time, we anticipated a significant increase in Bet Builder bets (and got well prepared for that move). The second trend was equally predictable, though it only really surfaces during major tournaments: pre-match betting considerably outweighed in-play, at 63 per cent to 37 per cent.

A few things drove that split. The match times played a big part — with a European client base, a lot of players were placing their bets at night and then heading to bed rather than following the game live. There’s also a simple structural reason: pre-match gives you all the time in the world to get a bet down, while in-play offers only 90 minutes plus stoppage. The new hydration breaks stretched each match by at least six minutes, but even so, the live window stays tight. And a lot of the volume landed on 1X2 and To Qualify, markets that only settle once the match is over.  Unless a player is cashing out, there’s little reason to keep betting in-play, many simply placed their bets pre-match and watched the game unfold. It all comes down to the individual player’s pattern, of course, but those factors together explain the tilt toward pre-match.

Which markets, bet types, or features generated the highest engagement during the World Cup? Did you notice any shift in player preferences compared with previous major sporting events?

There were no major shifts. The balance between singles and express bets stayed close to a normal season. As anticipated, 1X2, Total, and To Qualify took the top three positions by turnover. The Total Corners and Total Yellow Cards markets drew notable interest (top 12 markets overall).

Can you share any exclusive figures or insights that illustrate the scale of betting activity during the tournament? Which metrics best capture the event’s impact on sportsbooks?

We can share a few figures that give a sense of the scale. The most useful metric, in my view, is the pre-match-to-live split, because it shows whether player behaviour holds up under tournament conditions. Turnover came in at 63 per cent pre-match against 37 per cent live, bet count at 67.8 per cent to 32.2 per cent, and active users at 61.7 per cent to 38.3 per cent. What’s notable is the consistency. The balance held close to what we see across a regular season, even under tournament-scale volumes.

The final is the other figure worth highlighting. Spain vs Argentina alone accounted for 3.8 per cent of total revenue and 3.2 per cent of all bets placed. It’s the highest share of any single fixture in the tournament.

If I had to pick the metrics that best capture an event’s impact on a sportsbook, it would be those three: the pre-match/live balance, the concentration of activity around key in-play events, and the share taken by secondary markets. 

The World Cup is often described as the ultimate stress test for sportsbook operations. From your perspective, how did the tournament influence operators’ performance, and what separated the best-prepared operators from the rest?

This tournament was a challenge for everyone. A new format and match times that were far from ideal for European operators, all of which demanded thorough preparation. Those who planned ahead for the flood of new users and bets had the easiest time. They came ready with promotions, free bets, the best margins, plenty of markets, and every feature on offer. 

On our side, we prepared thoroughly so that our clients could implement everything with ease, keeping them up to date on the features and tools our team built specifically for the tournament. It was exactly this alignment between DATA.BET as the sportsbook solution supplier and the clients to make the most of the World Cup.

For many of our clients, the FIFA World Cup 2026 set records across key parameters: turnover, profit, active users, and bets.

Were there any operational or trading challenges that became particularly evident during the tournament? What lessons should operators take away ahead of future global sporting events?

I didn’t notice any problems because everything had been well thought out in advance. Our team works around the clock in shifts, so there’s always someone on hand to react the moment anything comes up. That kind of coverage isn’t something we spun up just for the World Cup, it’s been built over the years and runs constantly, not only during major events. Everyone was aware that matches in the US could be delayed or rescheduled due to individual states’ safety regulations, but our preparation for those scenarios was solid.

DATA.BET launched its sports betting vertical just over a year ago. How important was the World Cup in validating that strategic investment, and what did the tournament teach your team about the evolving needs of operators?

It was, of course, a long-awaited challenge for us, a kind of interim summary of a full year of painstaking work. And I want to say: we pulled it off. We delivered a fantastic result within the first 12 months – 39.7 per cent GGR growth, 147.6 per cent active-user growth, 21.6 per cent wider market coverage, and 45.7 per cent more event coverage- and consistently met client requests.

The requests came in across the whole spectrum. Some clients wanted the promotional margin reduced significantly, others wanted specific advertising odds, and others placed their full trust in us and weren’t disappointed. Because our sportsbook solution is highly flexible, we can handle each of those individually, adjusting margins, odds, and market settings per client in-flight without disrupting anyone else. The real lesson: no matter how well you prepare, clients always want more and flexibility of the technical solution is what lets you say yes on short notice.

Beyond betting volume, what opportunities do events like the World Cup create for operators in terms of player acquisition, engagement and long-term retention?

It’s a chance to show your product to the entire world, to put every feature, every small detail in front of players, and see the results of years of work. It’s a peak moment you’ve spent four years preparing for. The moment this World Cup ended, it was already worth thinking about what 2030 will look like and building plans around it.

Based on everything you’ve observed during the tournament, what trends do you believe will continue shaping the sports betting industry over the next few years?

The trend toward fast betting will continue to grow. The data shows players don’t want to wait. The balance will shift increasingly toward live betting and interval markets. Bets on statistics and Player Props will take up an even larger share and carry more weight in the overall result. But in my view, the greatest market of all time — 1X2 — will never surrender its position. So whatever anyone dreams up and adds, it remains only the dessert alongside the main course.

Looking ahead, what should operators already be doing to prepare for the next major global sporting event?

We all need to analyse the results in detail, draw our conclusions, and get a clear picture of 2030 as quickly as possible. Watch FIFA closely, be ready for changes to the tournament format, and, of course, trial any bold ideas during the regular seasons so we can assemble the best possible combination for the next World Cup — which will certainly be unlike any before it.