Passion. Goose bumps. Brightly colored jerseys from around the world. National pride.
All those things were on display Thursday in the city’s casinos as the 2026 FIFA World Cup soccer championship tournament kicked off and fans declared their loyalty, often backing it up with a bet or two.
Alex Louis, a Haitian-American who lives in Atlantic City, had just started to explain the emotional appeal of World Cup soccer when Mexico scored the tournament’s first goal on a giant screen in the sportsbook at Ocean Casino Resort. “See?” he asked. “It’s that excitement! It’s exciting.”
While the volume of World Cup betting was slow Thursday afternoon, casinos and sportsbooks expected it to pick up markedly Friday when the United States plays its first game against Paraguay.
