AI Revolution at World Cup: Kambi Reports Record Figures Through Automated Trading

When Spain captain Rodri lifted the FIFA World Cup trophy at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey in July, a nation celebrated its return to the top of world football. Behind the scenes, technology provider Kambi celebrated a significant milestone of its own. The 2026 World Cup was the first tournament of this magnitude to be managed entirely by Artificial Intelligence (AI). Across 104 matches, the machine handled every stage of the pricing lifecycle, from data ingestion and odds creation to liability management and bet settlement.

This shift in the sports betting industry is massive. Where armies of bookmakers once manually adjusted odds and set limits, an algorithm ruled in the summer of 2026. The result was impressive: more than 100 million bets were processed without any system downtime. During the final alone, the platform handled over one million unique bet combinations. This stress test proves that automated trading can not only withstand the intensity of the world's largest betting event but also significantly improve the user experience through speed and variety.

Numbers and facts

The raw figures illustrate the scale of AI deployment. According to Kambi, partner operators achieved a trading margin of 18 percent. In total, the Turnkey Sportsbook product generated a turnover of over one billion euros. The change in customer betting behavior was particularly striking. The share of Bet Builders, or individually constructed wagers, doubled compared to the 2022 World Cup. For live betting, the increase was even more extreme: here, the share of Bet Builders rose from a meager 3 percent four years ago to a proud 22 percent in 2026.

Furthermore, player proposition bets, so-called Player Props, played a central role. They were included in 65 percent of all Bet Builders, compared to only 25 percent in 2022. The most popular pre-match betting offer by turnover was player shots on target, surpassing the traditional match-winner market. This clearly shows that modern bettors are moving away from simple result tips towards highly personalized events within a game.

Background

Kambi's journey to a fully automated World Cup began as early as 2021 with initial investments in AI trading technology. Following large-scale tests at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and full integration into operations by 2024, the system was deployed in top leagues like the Premier League and Champions League. Today, over 70 percent of all bets in the Kambi network, including football and tennis, are traded purely by AI.

Oliver Lamb, SVP of Trading at Kambi, describes this process as a fundamental paradigm shift:

"In simple terms, what we have undertaken is a shift from machine-assisted human trading to human-assisted machine trading. AI trading lifts those limitations, while also enabling that existing human expertise to be leveraged more effectively." - Oliver Lamb, SVP of Trading at Kambi

By utilizing AI, Kambi reduced live betting delays by more than 40 percent between August 2025 and July 2026. This leads to a smoother user experience, as bets are accepted faster and markets are suspended less frequently.

Why it matters for German players

For bettors in Germany using providers licensed by the Joint Gambling Authority of the States (GGL), this technology offers both pros and cons. On one hand, AI ensures more stable platforms and fairer, more precise real-time odds. Reducing wait times for live bets is a convenience gain that German customers often miss. Since the Interstate Treaty on Gambling 2021 (GlüStV 2021) mandates strict player protection rules, these AI systems must work seamlessly with German safety mechanisms.

While deposit limits of 1,000 euros per month and the one-euro-per-spin limit for slots do not affect sports betting in the same way, the connection to LUGAS and OASIS remains mandatory. AI systems like Kambi's could theoretically help identify suspicious gambling behavior faster, benefiting player protection. However, the challenge remains that the vast variety of betting combinations enabled by AI must not lead to risky gambling patterns.

What it means for GGL-licensed casinos

German bookmakers relying on Kambi as a white-label solution benefit from high margins and technical reliability. In a market burdened by taxes and strict regulation, an 18 percent profitability is a strong argument. The GGL demands absolute transparency and security; a platform guaranteeing 100 percent uptime minimizes the risk of complaints and regulatory issues. Kambi emphasizes plans to expand this AI expertise to other sports like basketball, ice hockey, and American football to increase market depth there as well.