How to run a sportsbook in 2026, according to SOFTSWISS: from traffic spike to long-term retention

SOFTSWISS says the 2026 FIFA World Cup created a useful stress test for sportsbooks: around $240bn wagered worldwide across 104 matches, with sportsbook activity on its software tripling during the tournament. The point for operators and PSPs is straightforward enough: the real challenge is not only handling the spike, but keeping the players who arrived for it.

1. An estimated $240bn was wagered on the 2026 FIFA World Cup worldwide, according to the Group of Copenhagen, roughly double the volume recorded during the 2022 World Cup. SOFTSWISS says sportsbook activity on its software tripled during the tournament, which means operators had to deal with both load and retention at the same time.
2. SOFTSWISS frames the business decision first as a question of operating model. A turnkey solution hands over the technical core — betting engine, odds and risk management, compliance tooling, back office — so the operator can focus on the brand and player base. A custom build hands over everything, including the cost and time that comes with it.
3. The choice depends on the business plan, not the technology. SOFTSWISS says a new brand testing a single market is usually better served by speed to launch, while an operator planning to expand across several markets may need the deeper control over data, compliance, and player rules that a custom build allows.
4. The same logic applies to casino operators that want to add sports betting without rebuilding their stack. According to the text, connecting a sportsbook through an API or iFrame integration lets casino and sportsbook run side by side, which is the approach SOFTSWISS Sportsbook offers to casino operators that want to expand into betting without re-platforming.
5. Once the platform choice is made, live betting becomes the next pressure point. SOFTSWISS says live odds have to keep up with the match itself — a goal or a red card that outpaces the price on screen can cost the operator the next bet, and that is where the tournament traffic spike turns into an execution test rather than a marketing win.