Laura Hayes by

January and February 2026 mark the first major betting stretch of the year. January is anchored by the Australian Open (12 Jan–1 Feb), the NFL postseason, FA Cup third and fourth rounds, and headline motorsport events like the Dakar Rally and Rallye Monte-Carlo.

Snooker’s Masters, the Pegasus World Cup, and early-season golf in Dubai and Hawaii also draw steady betting interest.

February shifts the focus to finals and season-defining moments. Super Bowl LX headlines the month, the Six Nations gets underway, and the UEFA Champions League returns for the knockout stages.

Esports and poker calendars also ramp up with events like IEM Katowice and European poker tour stops, keeping betting activity high across sport, gaming, and live competition.

January 2026

  • Jan 2–11 – Tennis: United Cup – Perth & Sydney, Australia.
  • Jan 3–17 – Motorsport: Dakar Rally – Saudi Arabia.
  • Jan 4–8 – Cricket: The Ashes 5th Test – Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), Australia.
  • Jan 9–12 – Soccer: FA Cup Third Round – England.
  • Jan 9–11 – Rugby Union: EPCR Champions Cup Round 3 – Europe/South Africa.
  • w/c Jan 12 – Soccer: Carabao Cup semi-final first legs – England.
  • Jan 10–12 – American Football: NFL Wild Card Weekend – USA.
  • Jan 11 – Awards: Golden Globes – Beverly Hills, USA.
  • Jan 11–18 – Snooker: The Masters – Alexandra Palace, London, UK.
  • Jan 12–Feb 1 – Tennis: Australian Open – Melbourne Park, Australia.
  • Jan 12–18 – Golf: Sony Open in Hawaii (PGA Tour) – Honolulu, USA.
  • Jan 12–25 – Esports: BLAST Premier: Bounty – Global / online circuit.
  • Jan 16–18 – Rugby Union: EPCR Champions Cup Round 4 – Europe/South Africa.
  • Jan 19–21 – Casino & iGaming: ICE Barcelona – Barcelona, Spain.
  • Jan 22–25 – Motorsport: WRC Rallye Monte-Carlo – Monaco/France.
  • Jan 22–25 – Golf: Hero Dubai Desert Classic – Dubai, UAE.
  • Jan 24 – Horse Racing: Pegasus World Cup – Gulfstream Park, Florida, USA.
  • Jan 25 – American Football: NFL Conference Championship Games – USA.
  • Jan 25 – Tennis: Australian Open Men’s & Women’s Finals – Melbourne, Australia.
  • Jan 26 – Soccer: FA Cup Fourth Round draw – England.
  • Jan 26–Feb 1 – Snooker: German Masters – Berlin, Germany.
  • Jan 28–29 – Soccer: UEFA Champions League league-phase fixtures – Europe.
  • Jan 30–31 – Rugby Union: Six Nations Championship team announcements & build-up – Europe.

February 2026

  • Feb 1 – American Football: NFL Conference Championship Games – USA.
  • Feb 1–14 – Darts: Premier League Darts (opening nights) – UK & Europe.
  • Feb 2–8 – Soccer: FA Cup Fourth Round – England.
  • Feb 6–8 – Rugby Union: Six Nations Championship Round 1 – Europe.
  • Feb 7 – Horse Racing: Kingmaker Novices’ Chase – Warwick, UK.
  • Feb 8 – American Football: Super Bowl LX – USA.
  • Feb 9–15 – Snooker: Welsh Open – Wales, UK.
  • Feb 10–14 – Poker: PokerStars European Poker Tour (winter stop) – Europe.
  • Feb 11–18 – Soccer: UEFA Champions League Round of 16 (first legs).
  • Feb 12–15 – Golf: Genesis Invitational (PGA Tour) – California, USA.
  • Feb 13–15 – Rugby Union: Six Nations Championship Round 2 – Europe.
  • Feb 18–22 – Esports: IEM Katowice – Katowice, Poland.
  • Feb 19–22 – Horse Racing: Saudi Cup Festival – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
  • Feb 26–Mar 1 – Motorsport: MotoGP season opener – Qatar.
Laura Hayes
Writer

Laura is an experienced writer specializing in sports betting and online casinos. With years of industry knowledge from her time at Freebets.com and CanadaCasinos.ca, she now focuses on providing clear, actionable insights to help readers make smarter betting decisions.