Sky Bet is offering new customers enhanced odds of 60/1 on a goal being scored in England’s opening World Cup match against Croatia, a promotion that could unlock up to £60 in free bets if either side finds the net at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Dallas.
The match, which kicks off at 9pm BST on Wednesday, June 17 2026, marks the beginning of England’s Group L campaign under new manager Thomas Tuchel. Sky Bet’s welcome offer is designed to draw in new punters before the Three Lions face the 2018 World Cup finalists, who famously beat England in the semi-final of that tournament.
How to claim the Sky Bet welcome offer
The promotion is open exclusively to new customers aged 18 and over who are UK residents. To qualify, users must sign up using a designated link, deposit at least £5 using a debit card, Apple Pay or Pay by Bank — deposits from e-wallets such as Neteller and Skrill do not count — and then place a single, maximum £1 bet on the “over 0.5 goals” market for the England vs Croatia match.
Sky Bet stresses that only the first bet placed with the bookmaker qualifies. Greater stakes or multiple smaller bets will not be accepted. The qualifying bet must be placed before the 9pm BST kick-off on Wednesday, June 17.
If the qualifying bet wins — meaning at least one goal is scored — Sky Bet will pay out in cash on the £1 stake at the regular, non-boosted odds. The extra winnings, representing the enhanced odds element, are credited as 6 x £10 BuildABet free bet tokens, giving a total of £60 in World Cup free bets. Free bet stakes are not returned with winnings and are non-withdrawable. They must be used on football BuildABets only and cannot be combined with any other offer. All free bets expire 14 days after being credited.
If the qualifying bet loses — which would happen only in the event of a 0-0 draw — new customers still receive a single £10 BuildABet free token as a consolation.
Sky Bet also offers a broader new-customer promotion outside the match-specific 60/1 deal: customers who deposit £10 and place a qualifying bet of £10 at odds of 1/1 or greater can receive £50 in free bets, split between BuildABet and accumulator tokens.
Other Sky Bet World Cup promotions
Beyond the welcome offers, Sky Bet is running several in-tournament promotions. A £5million England jackpot guarantees at least £5m to bettors if England win the World Cup, with the prize pool rising by £100,000 every time England score. To enter, punters must wager £5 or more on the World Cup winner market.
The AccaFreeze promotion allows users to lock in a winning leg in-play on an accumulator with five or more legs, so it settles as a winner regardless of any later change of result. A maximum of three freezes per week applies.
Sky Bet Club requires users to opt in and stake at least £30 across the week at odds of evens or greater. The default reward is two £2.50 BuildABet free bets credited automatically.
BuildABet booster provides a 25 per cent winnings boost on BuildABet wagers for selected World Cup games, with qualifying fixtures listed on the Sky Bet promotions page. Enhanced odds on selected World Cup markets are flagged each matchday on the football promotions hub.
The 2UP promotion pays out a bet as a winner if the backed team goes two goals ahead at any point, regardless of the final result.
Sky Bet is also offering a £10 free bet for every Harry Kane goal during the World Cup, up to a maximum of £60.
Match context and betting landscape
England are favourites across most World Cup betting sites for this fixture, but Croatia bring experience and quality through players such as captain Luka Modrić — playing in his final World Cup at 40 — as well as Mateo Kovačić and Joško Gvardiol. Croatia have a strong recent World Cup record, finishing runners-up in 2018 and third in 2022. Coach Zlatko Dalić has described the opening match as “paramount” but has expressed concerns about the form and fitness of several key players.
England manager Thomas Tuchel has a squad that includes captain Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka, who has declared himself fit despite a lingering Achilles issue. Notable omissions from the squad include Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Harry Maguire.
Sky Bet has also published two suggested best bets for the match: “England to win & Harry Kane to score first” at 3.71/1, and “England to win, both teams to score & over 2.5 cards” at 4.56/1. Odds were correct at the time of writing.
Rival bookmakers are offering their own World Cup promotions. Ladbrokes offers £30 in free bets on a £10 qualifying bet, along with money back on losing accumulators and England World Cup boosts. BetVictor has 100/1 on England to win the World Cup and a Lucky Dip offer. Betfair gives 50/1 on Spain or France to qualify for the last 16 plus a 90-minute guarantee. BetWay offers £40 in free bets on a £10 stake, a free bets club and free-to-play prediction games. Paddy Power offers £50 in free bets on a £10 stake, a free bet builder for all England games and Paddy’s Rewards Club. Bet365 offers £30 in free bets on a £10 stake, super boosts and a “Sub on, play on” offer. William Hill offers £30 in free bets on a £10 stake, an epic boost and an impact sub offer. Midnite offers £30 in free football bets on a £10 stake, plus early payouts. Betfred offers £50 in free bets on a £10 stake, money back on losing bet builders and a free bet builder on a first-round game. BetMGM offers £40 in free bets on a £10 stake and free prizes from a Golden Spin game. Spreadex offers up to £100 in free bets on a £10 stake and a refer-a-friend scheme. BoyleSports offers £40 in free bets on a £10 stake, acca rewards and a bet-and-get World Cup outright promo.
Gambling support charities GamCare and BeGambleAware have warned that the World Cup can increase the risk of gambling harm. GamCare reported an 11 per cent rise in helpline contacts following the 2022 tournament, and online gambling now accounts for 82 per cent of helpline contacts. Young adults aged 18-34 are considered particularly vulnerable. Late kick-off times for UK viewers may make it easier for people to gamble unnoticed. The Betting and Gaming Council has warned that illegal gambling operators could exploit the tournament, potentially taking hundreds of millions of pounds from consumers who lack the protections of regulated platforms. The UK Gambling Commission has issued guidelines for office sweepstakes, stating they must be for fun or charity with no profit for the organiser, and tickets must be sold in person at the workplace with draws conducted physically on-site.
The match will be televised live and free-to-air on ITV1 in the UK, with coverage starting at 8pm BST, and can be streamed via ITVX. In the US it will be broadcast on FOX and FOX One, and in Canada on TSN.
