Hosting the World Cup is a costly thing, and some New Jersey lawmakers are interested in offsetting those expenses with money wagered on the event at Garden State sportsbooks.
- New Jersey legislation proposes a 10% temporary surcharge on online sports betting revenue from 2026 World Cup games to help cover hosting costs.
- The revenue would go to state funds and may help offset expenses tied to matches at MetLife Stadium, including the tournament final.
- The bill faces uncertain passage despite potentially significant betting revenue and projected hosting costs exceeding $300 million.
If passed (and that’s a huge “if”), legislation officially introduced on Monday by Democratic Rep. Michael Venezia and Democratic Sen. Paul Sarlo would, among other additional fees, impose a “temporary surcharge” of 10% on the gross revenue earned by New Jersey sports betting sites from any 2026 FIFA World Cup game.
The surcharge would be in addition to the taxes New Jersey sportsbooks already pay. For the state's online sportsbooks, they must hand over approximately 19.75% of their winnings.
And the fee would apply to a wide variety of World Cup-related wagering revenue, including from bets on “any match or series of matches, or any portion thereof, among the 48 teams qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament, including but not limited to, the individual performance statistics of athletes in a match or combination of matches.”
The money collected via the online sports betting surcharge would flow to the state’s Casino Revenue Fund and State General Fund. The idea is that some of this wagering revenue (along with money raised from hotel, beer, and transportation surcharges) will help cover the costs associated with New Jersey’s co-hosting of the 2026 World Cup.
“The revenue collected from the temporary surcharges is intended to support the costs of preparations for the hosting of the matches of this special event that will take place in New Jersey,” the bill’s statement says. “MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, will host eight matches, including the tournament final on July 19, 2026.”
The Assembly and Senate bills have a long way to go and only a short time in which to do it. Meanwhile, the World Cup begins on June 11.
NJ A 4838
— OneGov (@OneGovPolicy) May 5, 2026
Summary: Imposes four temporary surcharges to fund 2026 FIFA World Cup preparations in New Jersey: a 2.5% hotel/motel occupancy tax (June 12–July 20, 2026, with county carve-outs), a 3% Meadowlands district surcharge on receipts and admissions (June 12–July 21, 2026),…
It’s possible, though, that a decent chunk of change could be generated from taxing the revenue that sportsbooks earn from wagering on World Cup odds.
In April, analysts at investment bank Citizens said they estimate that wagering on the tournament should be roughly that of the Super Bowl. Research firm H2 Gambling Capital forecast that legal sportsbooks in the U.S. would handle approximately $1.78 billion in bets on the Super Bowl this year. New Jersey would account for a significant slice of that.
And New Jersey will have some significant costs to shoulder in connection with the World Cup. One local media outlet reported the state’s contributions could run north of $300 million.
