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The numbers speak for themselves: nearly 90 of our partners took part, joined by 45 new companies. A total of 12,500 users tried their luck, ultimately submitting 920,000 bets. On average, players predicted the outcome of more than 70% of the 104 matches, and more than 7,500 people were still playing during the final week.
But the betting game was about more than correct guesses and points. For weeks, participants kept coming back, following the results, comparing their scores, and sharing the excitement. In other words, exactly what we expect from a successful community activity happened: a new point of connection emerged between colleagues.
Nearly 90 companies from Blue Colibri’s current partner community enabled the game. They were joined by 45 companies that had not previously been Blue Colibri partners. Altogether, more than 130 company communities had the opportunity to experience what a digital betting game can achieve in practice.
Participation was not only high but sustained. On average, players submitted bets for more than 70% of the matches, and even during the final week of the tournament, more than 7,500 people were still actively following the game. This is an outstanding result: it shows that the campaign did more than attract attention at launch - it managed to maintain interest for weeks.
One of the recurring challenges of internal communication is how to encourage employees to genuinely participate. You can send out a news update, but that does not necessarily start a real conversation. You can announce a company event, but not everyone will be able to attend in person.
An online game works differently: it does not simply share information but invites people to take a simple, clear action - make a bet, earn points, follow the leaderboard, and return before the next match.
The barrier to entry is low, and participation requires neither special expertise nor much time. Anyone can join in within a few minutes, whether they are in the office, at a production site, at home, or on the go.
In hybrid workplaces, across multiple locations, or among colleagues working different shifts, there are far fewer spontaneous encounters and opportunities for informal conversations. A shared game can create a point of connection that does not depend on job role, organizational level, or workplace location.
On the leaderboard, a manager, a new joiner, and white- and blue-collar employees can all appear side by side. Conversations around the game can also easily cross the usual boundaries between teams and departments.
This is what makes a betting game more than a simple competition: it creates a shared company experience even among colleagues who rarely meet during their everyday work.
In traditional internal communication, opening or reading a message is often considered a sign of activity. In a game, however, much more happens: employees make decisions, submit bets, return regularly, follow their own performance and that of their colleagues, and react to the results.
This repeated activity can also help make the internal communication platform part of employees’ everyday routine. Someone who opens the app or website to make a bet for the next match is also more likely to encounter company news, events, and other community content available there.
The game can therefore become an entry point to the wider digital employee experience. It does not replace important company communication, but it can direct more attention to the platform where that information is available.
One of the biggest challenges in employee engagement remains reaching colleagues who do not work in front of a computer. Long emails, intranet pages, or events tied to specific working hours can often be less accessible to them.
A mobile-friendly betting game, however, is accessible regardless of shift or location. Participation does not require a company laptop or constant access to a desktop computer. This means the same shared experience can reach offices, warehouses, stores, and production sites alike.
This is more than a technical advantage. It also sends an important message: every employee is part of the company community.
A successful internal campaign does more than create a positive atmosphere - it also generates measurable results. Throughout the game, organizations can track how many people registered, how many participated actively, how often they returned, and how much interaction took place.
In our 2026 World Cup betting game, 12,500 players and 920,000 submitted bets make the level of activity generated by the campaign tangible. These results can also provide useful input when planning future internal communication programs.
At the end of the game, it is therefore worth looking beyond who topped the leaderboard or which match produced the closest bets. Equally important questions include:
This way, the game can become part of a measurable internal communication campaign rather than a standalone activity.
Gamification does not have to end with the final match. The same logic can be applied to many workplace topics: quizzes, knowledge competitions, wellbeing or sports challenges, sustainability campaigns, or even as an addition to mandatory training.
The goal is not to turn every workplace activity into a competition. Gamification works best when it supports a clear objective, is easy to access, is voluntary, and offers a genuine sense of achievement.
It is also worth recognizing more than just the people who finish on the podium. Rewards can go to the most active team, the participant who improves the most, or even those who take part in every round. This way, persistence, consistency, and the shared experience can become just as important as the competition itself.
The results of this year’s World Cup betting game show that employees are open to entertaining digital activities. More than 130 companies and 12,500 players took part, while the number of submitted bets alone demonstrates the intensity of participation.
A well-designed game will not solve every employee engagement challenge. But it can start something: regular return visits, new conversations, healthy competition, and shared moments that can gradually contribute to a stronger workplace community.
