Best Eurovision 2023 Betting Tips, Odds & Offers
As the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 draws near, the excitement builds and everyone is wondering the same thing: who will win this year's competition? It's a prime event for betting on more than just the outright winner, with Eurovision betting resulting in a dramatic increase in activity for popular online casinos with sportsbooks. If you're keen to get in on this year's action yourself, get all the knowledge, odds and betting tips you could possibly need in our in-depth article below.
Our Favourite Casinos for Betting on Eurovision
Some online casinos' bookmakers offer much better markets for Eurovision betting than others. Here are our top 5 recommended casinos for Eurovision betting:
🥇 Best for welcome bonus | William Hill |
🤵 Best for sportsbook |
VBet |
💱 Best for crypto | BetUK |
🎲 Best for casino games | 888casino |
🎰 Best for jackpot slots | BetVictor |
Latest News for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023
Key Facts for Eurovision 2023
Official Title | Eurovision Song Contest 2023 |
---|---|
Tagline | United By Music |
Edition | 67th |
Dates | 9th - 13th of May, 2023: Semi Final 1: May 9th Semi Final 2: May 11th Final Night: May 13th |
Host Country | UK (in place or Ukraine) |
Host Venue | Liverpool Arena, Liverpool |
Number of Entries | 37 |
Entries: Semi Final 1 | Norway: "Queen of Kings" by Alessandra Malta: "Dance (Our Own Party)" by The Busker Serbia: "Samo mi se spava" by Luke Black Latvia: "Aijā" by Sudden Lights Portugal: "Ai Coração" by Mimicat Ireland: "We Are One" by Wild Youth Croatia: "Mama ŠČ!" by Let 3 Switzerland: "Watergun" by Remo Forrer Israel: "Unicorn" by Noa Kirel Moldova: "Soarele și luna" by Pasha Parfeni Sweden: "Tattoo" by Loreen Azerbaijan: "Tell Me More" by TuralTuranX Czechia: "My Sister's Crown" by Vesna Netherlands: "Burning Daylight" by Mia Nicolai and Dion Cooper Finland: "Cha Cha Cha" by Käärijä |
Entries: Semi Final 2 | Denmark: "Breaking My Heart" by Reiley Armenia: "Future Lover" by Brunette Romania: "D.G.T. (Off and On)" by Theodor Andrei Estonia: "Bridges" by Alika Belgium: "Because Of You" by Gustaph Cyprus: "Break A Broken Heart" by Andrew Lambrou Iceland: "Power" by Diljá Greece: "What They Say" by Victor Vernicos Poland: "Solo" by Blanka Slovenia: "Carpe Diem" by Joker Out Georgia: "Echo" by Iru San Marino: "Like An Animal" by Piqued Jacks Austria: "Who the Hell Is Edgar?" by Teya and Salena Albania: "Duje" by Albina and Familja Kelmendi Lithuania: "Stay" by Monika Linkytė Australia: "Promise" by Voyager |
Entries: Final | France: "Évidemment" by La Zarra Germany: "Blood & Glitter" by Lord of the Lost Italy: "Due Vite" by Marco Mengoni Spain: "Eaea" by Blanca Paloma Ukraine: "Heart of Steel" by Tvorchi UK: "I Wrote A Song" by Mae Muller Plus the 10 qualifying entries from each of the semi-finals |
Recent Eurovision Song Contest Winners
Year | Country | Song | Artist |
---|---|---|---|
2023 | Sweden | "Tattoo" | Loreen |
2022 | Ukraine | "Stefania" | Kalush Orchestra |
2021 | Italy | "Zitti e Buoni" | Måneskin |
2020 | Cancelled Due to COVID-19 | ||
2019 | Netherlands | "Arcade" | Dunacn Laurence |
2018 | Israel | "Toy" | Netta |
2017 | Portugal | "Amar Pelos Dois" | Salvador Sobral |
2016 | Ukraine | "1944" | Jamala |
2015 | Sweden | "Heroes" | Måns Zelmerlöw |
2014 | Austria | "Rise Like A Phoenix" | Conchita Wurst |
2013 | Denmark | "Only Teardrops" | Emmelie de Forest |
2012 | Sweden | "Euphoria" | Loreen |
Who Won the Last Eurovision?
In the last edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, which took place in 2022, the Kalush Orchestra from Ukraine emerged victorious with their song "Stefania", which earned a total of 631 points. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom's own Sam Ryder secured a second-place finish with his captivating song "Space Man", earning a total of 466 points. This is particularly noteworthy as it represents the UK's best performance in the competition since Immani also placed second back in 1998. The Uk’s second-place position means that they will be hosting Eurovision 2023 on behalf of Ukraine.
Who Won Eurovision 2023?
Now that this year's edition of the Eurovision Song Contest has been concluded, Sweden has claimed the number one spot in Eurovision 2023 thanks to the returning artist Loreen, who previously won the Eurovision for Sweden back in 2012 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Loreen gained most of her success through the jury's votes with a total of 340 points, and during televoting, Finland took the lead being the frontrunner chosen by the public. However, Loreen gained enough points through televoting to reclaim her top position at the very last minute, making Sweden next year's host country and "Tattoo" this year's Eurovision victor.
Has Anyone Won Eurovision Multiple Times?
As unlikely as it may sound, there is one individual artist who has won the Eurovision Song Contest multiple times. Johnny Logan represented Ireland and won the competition in 1980 with the song "What's Another Year", then again in 1987 with "Hold Me Now". Even more impressive, Johnny Logan also wrote the song that went on to win in the 1992 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, "Why Me?", performed by Linda Martin. In terms of countries, Ireland has managed to win the competition an impressive 7 times, followed closely by Sweden with 6 victories, and France, Luxembourg, Netherlands and the UK, each with 5 wins.
The number of times a country has won the ESC can have a dramatic impact on the odds of that country winning again. For example, since Ireland has won the most number of times over the competition's history, it's likely the country will have better odds of winning than other participating countries that haven't won quite so often. The previous year's winning country will also influence that country's odds of winning in the current year, with bookmakers adjusting their prices accordingly.
Now that Loreen was selected as the winner of Eurovision 2023, having won the Eurovision back in 2012 with "Euphoria", this makes her the second person to ever win the Eurovision twice and the first female artist to do so.
How Do Bookmakers Calculate Their Odds?
The odds for Eurovision Song Contest bets tend to be based on many factors, including how many times the country has participated and won the competition, which country won in the previous year, how the public places their bets, and even the political relationships between participating countries. In the early stages of the competition, before the songs have even been released, ESC betting odds tend to be predominantly based on the previous year's performance and the track records of the participating countries.
Once the songs have been released, bookmakers will then assess them to judge their quality in terms of appealing to the public. As people bet on their preferred songs, bookmakers use this movement to adjust the odds, with popular bets offering lower odds and less popular bets offering higher odds. However, bookies will also use the odds of other bookmakers as a guide for setting their own odds. It's also important to realise that the Eurovision Song Contest has become something of a battleground when it comes to politics between the different participating countries, a factor that also goes into the process of determining betting odds.
Why Aren’t Odds the Same for Different Bookmakers?
In the same way that different people have different opinions about who will win this year's Eurovision Song Contest, so too do the bookies. Of course, their job depends on accurately assessing the competition and its various participants, so it pays for them to do their research! Bookmakers are also aware that many factors can influence the odds of a country winning the ESC, from previous wins to the quality of the song itself to media stunts and politics. Each bookmaker sets its prices based on their own opinion on all of the influencing factors, which is why the odds may vary from one bookie to the next.
What Can I Bet on the Eurovision 2023 Song Contest in the UK?
Since the Eurovision Song Contest is such an exciting and widely televised event, many people enjoy adding a little extra excitement by betting on the competition. There are many different ways to bet on the ESC, from simply guessing who the winning country will be to more complicated bets. If you're new to betting, you might find our online gambling guide useful. Meanwhile, let's check out the most common Eurovision betting markets you might enjoy some action on.
Outright Winner of the ESC Final
The outright winner market is obviously the most popular of all Eurovision betting opportunities as it's the reason most people watch the competition in the first place! Bets placed on this market will pay out if the chosen country emerges as the overall winner of the competition after the final on May 13.
Our top recommended sportsbook for Outright Winner is Bet365 ▶
Who Will Finish in the Top 10?
Some bookmakers offer more complex betting markets for the Eurovision Song Contest, such as who will finish in the top 10. This market allows you to select the country you think will collect enough points to be one of the top 10 countries at the end of the competition. This type of bet is attractive because it isn't limited to just first place, making it perfect for betting on countries you think will do well, but not necessarily win.
Our top recommended sportsbook for Top 10 Finnish is 10bet ▶
Top Big-5 Country
Every year, 5 countries are 'fast-tracked' to the final stage of the Eurovision Song Contest due to their monetary contributions in support of the competition. These countries are called the Big 5 and include the UK, France, Spain, Italy and Germany. Betting on which of the Big 5 will win the competition is a popular option as the odds tend to be very close for each country.
Our recommended sportsbook for Top Big-5 Country is BetVictor ▶
Who Will Qualify For the Final in the Eurovision Semi-Final 1?
Semi final 1 contains 15 countries, with only 10 of them making it through to the Eurovision Song Contest final event. In contrast to the betting market that allows you to guess who will win semi final 1, the option of betting on who (from semi final 1) will qualify for the final is also a popular choice. Go for this bet and if your chosen country makes it to the final, you'll get a payout.
Our recommended sportsbook for who will qualify for the final in the Eurovision Semi-Final 1 is Betway ▶
Who Will Qualify For the Final in the Eurovision Semi-Final 2?
This bet is exactly the same as the previous one, except that it applies specifically to semi final 2. There are 16 countries in semi final 2 and only 10 of them will make it through to the competition final. Choose this bet and if your preferred country makes it to the final, you'll get your payout..
Our recommended sportsbook for who will qualify for the final in the Eurovision Semi-Final 2 is Unibet ▶
Which Balkan Country Gets the Best Result?
Often simply referred to as the Top Balkan, this bet gives you the opportunity to bet on which participating Balkan country you think will perform the best in relation to the others. This year's competition features 6 Balkan countries: Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Greece, Romania and Albania. The beauty of this bet is the Balkan countries are separated from the rest, giving you a much tighter and more competitive market.
Our recommended sportsbook for which Balkan country gets the best result is VBet ▶
Which Nordic Country Gets the Best Result?
The name of this bet may vary depending on the participating countries and where you choose to bet (eg. Top Nordic v Top Scandinavian), but the idea is to guess which of the countries in the Nordic/Scandinavian region will perform the best in the competition in relation to each other. This year, the participating countries in the region are Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark and Iceland (since Iceland and Finland are included, the region is properly termed Norden (Nordic)
Our recommended sportsbook for which Nordic country gets the best result is BetUK ▶
Which Baltic Country Gets the Best Result?
Similar to the above two regional bets, the Top Baltic market allows you to bet on which of the Baltic countries will perform best in this year's Eurovision Song Contest relative to the others. In the 2023 competition, the 3 participating Baltic countries are Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia. If you bet on one of these countries and they outperform the others in the region, you'll get your payout.
Our recommended sportsbook for which Baltic country gets the best result is William Hill ▶
How Do Eurovision 2023 Odds Work?
When you see odds for betting on the Eurovision Song Contest, they are generally expressed as a fraction, eg. 3/1. Eurovision odds tell you both the chances of that bet winning and the payout you'll get as a result. So as an example, let's say Finland to win the Eurovision Song Contest outright bet has odds of 3/1. If you compare that to, say, Romania, whose chances are currently pegged at around 300/1 (ie. longer odds), you can see that Finland has the better chance of winning. A €10 bet on Finland to win would return you €30 in winnings, plus your stake back, based on those 3/1 odds.
The larger the odds, the more you stand to get back if you win, but the less chance there is of that happening. Of course, Eurovision odds change all the time depending on many factors, so if you see odds you like, best to act fast!
Who Are the Favourites for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023?
Odds for the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest are advertised by many different bookmakers and they may vary slightly (sometimes not so slightly!) from one bookie to the next. It's also important to note that odds change on a regular basis and can become outdated and inaccurate very quickly. That said, here's a look at the odds of the top countries to win the Eurovision Song Contest outright, in order of most likely to least likely, accurate at the time of writing now that the semi-final rounds are done:
Country | Odds to Win Outright | Bookmaker |
---|---|---|
Sweden | 4/9 | William Hill |
Finland | 5/1 | Bet365 |
Ukraine | 8/1 | 10Bet |
Spain | 16/1 | William Hill |
Israel | 18/1 | BetVictor |
France | 33/1 | BetUK |
Norway | 33/1 | Betway |
Italy | 40/1 | Bet365 |
United Kingdom | 40/1 | 10Bet |
Croatia | 80/1 | William Hill |
Which Countries Are Least Likely to Win Eurovision?
Not all countries participating in Eurovision are likely to win the competition. Eurovision is a highly competitive event, and each year there are dozens of talented performers and catchy songs aiming for the top spot. While every country enters the competition with the goal of winning, the reality is that only one can take home the trophy. Factors such as song quality, staging, and performance can all play a role in determining which countries are more likely to win.
However, it's important to remember that Eurovision is also a highly subjective event, and what one person or group of people may consider a winning performance may not resonate with others. These ten countries are the ones currently ranked lowest with the bookies making them the least favourite to win. These are the updated odds for the qualifiers to the final now that the semi-finals are over:
Country | Odds to Win Outright | Bookmaker |
---|---|---|
Switzerland | 150/1 | Bet365 |
Germany | 200/1 | BetVictor |
Cyprus | 200/1 | William Hill |
Slovenia | 200/1 | Bet365 |
Serbia | 200/1 | 10Bet |
Moldova | 250/1 | BetUK |
Albania | 250/1 | BetVictor |
Portugal | 250/1 | William Hill |
Lithuania | 250/1 | Betway |
Estonia | 300/1 | BetUK |
How to Bet on Eurovision 2023 in the UK
Betting on the Eurovision Song Contest is not only really popular, but it's also very easy. Here's a look at the 5 simple steps to take if you want to bet on this year's ESC competition.
Step 1: Register
The first thing you'll need to do in preparation for betting on the Eurovision Song Contest is to open an account at an online casino that includes a bookmaker (check the table towards the beginning of this article for our recommended sites). Registering is usually a very simple process involving entering your name, email address, postal address and phone number, and creating a username and password.
Step 2: Read the Terms and Conditions
It's crucial that you read your chosen site's Terms and Conditions as these explain both the site's responsibilities and what is expected of you as a member. There might be rules regarding betting, using bonuses or no deposit bonuses or cashing out that may be relevant to your plans to bet on the Eurovision Song Contest, so be sure to check them out.
Step 3: Claim Your Eurovision Casino Bonus
Many sites offering Eurovision betting present new members with a variety of bonuses, ie. extra funds on top of whatever you choose to deposit in order to bet. In most cases, the site's available casino sign up bonus is credited once you've made a qualifying first deposit, but in others you may need to enter a bonus code to claim it.
Step 4: Select the Market
Eurovision Song Contest betting markets are usually located in the online casino's sportsbook section under Entertainment. Simply click the competition and you'll be presented with all available markets, eg. Outright winner, Top 10 Finish, Top Big 5, etc.
Step 5: Place Your Bets
To place your Eurovision Song Contest Bet, simply click on the market you're interested in and it'll be added to the bet slip automatically. All you have to do then is enter your stake and click the button to place your bet.
Structure for the Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest structure is the same each year in terms of how the countries qualify and the winners are determined. All participating countries are split randomly between semi final 1 and semi final 2. The only countries that are not grouped in this way are the Big 5 - that is, the UK, France, Spain, Italy and Germany. These countries are the largest financial contributors to the competition, which effectively buys them a place straight into the final, alongside the host country (officially Ukraine).
The competition itself usually takes place during a single week in May, with semi final 1 taking place on the Tuesday, semi final 2 running on the Thursday, and the final unfolding on the Saturday.
Our Live Updates for the Eurovision Semi-Final 1
With the first semi-final for the Eurovision song contest done and dusted here's a rundown of what went down:
A wonderful surprise of the first on-screen appearance of the newly crowned King and Queen Consort for the British monarchy.
In the touching opening ceremony a montage featuring Liverpool's excitement to host the Eurovision and Ukrainians finding refuge in the UK with subtle yet touching highlights of the Ukrainian flag colours yellow and blue.
The presenters took the stage to change the sombre mood to the excitement the competition deserves by explaining the voting rules and introducing the first act.
This year's pre-song postcards were a beautiful touch! Each country's postcard focused on a famous Ukrainian landmark in Ukraine which then transitioned into a similar landmark in the UK followed by the participants arriving at their home country's equivalent landmark.
Norway kicked off the competition with a strong stage presence, and each country in this semi-final's running order followed, all giving a superb performance and luckily so far, no technical difficulties.
After all the acts were done and dusted, the voting commenced, and the viewers of the contest got to enjoy Ukraine's Eurovision alumni Alyosha who competed in 2010 alongside the UK's own Rebecca Ferguson side by side in a tribute to Ukraine promoting peace and unity.
Global pop superstar Rita Ora then hit the stage for the Eurovision's version of the halftime show giving an incredible performance made up of a slowed-down mash-up of some of her hit songs including her recent single "Praising You"
Throughout the evening we got to enjoy some of the participant's comments, jokes and aspiring messages in the Green Room.
Once voting closed, viewers had the opportunity to get a glimpse of 3 of the 6 acts that automatically place in the final as part of the big 5 and last year's winning country. These were France's La Zarra with "Évidemment", Germany's Lord of the Lost with "Blood & Glitter" and Italy's returning alumni Marco Mengoni with a classic Italian ballad "Due Vite".
Qualifiers from ESC Semi-Final 1: Croatia, Moldova, Switzerland, Finland, Czech Republic, Israel, Portugal, Sweden, Serbia & Norway.
Non-Qualifiers from ESC Semi-Final 1: Azerbaijan, Ireland, Netherlands, Latvia & Malta.
Here's the saved live stream if you want to rewatch the first semi-final for the Eurovision Song Contest:
Our Live Updates for the Eurovision Semi-Final 2
Now that the second semi-final is over, it's time to run through what went down in yesterday's competition:
The second semi-final for the Eurovision opened with a quick recap of what happened in the first semi-final, after which the judges hit the Eurovision stage with another round of high-fashion dresses.
Denmark opened tonight's performances with Reiley's "Breaking My Heart" setting the right atmosphere for the audience, then followed by all the entries performing in the evening's running order.
It's safe to say, after watching all the semi-finalists run their performances, that this year everything went smooth sailing and all acts proved to be tough competition.
The presenters kicked off the voting as we saw a recap of all the night's performances.
A beautiful tribute to Ukrainian music was up next showcasing talented Mariya Yaremchuk later joined by rapper OTOY and Ukraine's 2022 Junior Eurovision Song COntest participant Zlata Dziunka.
Voting was now closed, and while we waited for the verified results we all got to sit back and enjoy an out-of-this-world lip-sync drag show.
Now it was time to have a sneak peek of the remaining 3 countries that automatically qualify for the final. Starting off with Spain's "EAEA" by Blanca Paloma, followed by Ukraine's "Heart of Steal" by Tvorchi, and finally representing the United Kingdom in Saturday night's final, Mae Muller's "I Wrote A Song".
Qualifiers from ESC Semi-Final 2: Albania, Cyprus, Estonia, Belgium, Austria, Lithuania, Poland, Australia & Slovenia
Non-Qualifiers from ESC Semi-Final 1: Denmark, Romania, Iceland, Greece, Georgia & San Marino
Here's the saved live stream if you want to rewatch the second semi-final for the Eurovision Song Contest:
Our Live Updates for the Eurovision Grand Final
The Eurovision Song Contest 2023 is now behind us. Once again Eurovision has not failed to give us so extravagant performances making this year's competition very stiff, however, we all lowkey knew Loreen would take home the crown. Here's everything you need to know about what went down in Saturday night's Grand Final:
The pleasure of opening the Grand Final was given to last year's winners, the Kalush orchestra, who performed a rendition of last year's winning song "Stefania".
The finalists started marching out one by one from the stage making their way to the green room following the running order with performance intervals from Eurovision alumni Go_A, Jamala, Tina Karol and Verka Serduchka singing snippets from their past entries.
The presenters hit the stage one last time, running through the evening's agenda and explaining how the voting works. After which, Austria took the stage to open the Grand Final.
In the grand final a total of 26 countries performed, with 10 qualifiers from each semi-final, the Big 5 countries and last year's winning country,
Once the performances concluded, the voting opened and Sam Ryder took the stage as the main interval act performing his new single "Mountain". After which we had a special visitor interview in the green room, Jan Leeming, who presented the Eurovision by herself back in 1982 in the UK.
The Grand Final proceeded with the Liverpool songbook, which saw another collection of Eurovision Alumni including the likes of Mahmood and Daði Freyr, who came together to sing a total of 5 songs that originated from Liverpool.
The voting was then closed, but before we moved on to receiving the jury votes, a heartwarming documentary about some previous performances was narrated by ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus.
37 countries' jurys moved on to give their 12 points to their favourite performance of the evening. Throughout the jury voting, Sweden was a clear frontrunner from the very start finishing up with a total of 340 jury votes while the second in line was Israel's "Unicorn" with 177 points, making the jump between the first and second contenders a whopping 163 votes.
Once jury votes had all been submitted, it was time to get the televoting votes for all the performing countries of the evening starting from the country that received the least total jury votes. This part is usually quite thrilling because everything can change at the last minute. In fact, as the televoting proceeded, Finland, who already had accumulated 150 jury votes, accumulated 376 televoting points beating Sweeden from the top spot. However, in the end, Sweden received enough points to reclaim back the number one spot making them the winners of Eurovision 2023 with a total of 583 points.
The Grand Final was closed off with one last performance of "Tattoo" by Loreen after she was resented with the trophy and a standing ovation from the audience.
Here's the saved live stream if you want to rewatch the Grand Final for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023:
Top 5 placements for the Eurovision 2023
Rank | Country | Song | Artist | Jury Votes | Public Votes | Total Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Winner | Sweden | Tattoo | Loreen | 340 | 243 | 583 |
Runner-Up | Finland | Cha Cha Cha | Käärijä | 150 | 376 | 526 |
3rd Placement | Israel | Unicorn | Noa Kirel | 177 | 185 | 362 |
4th Placement | Italy | Due Vite | Marco Mengoni | 176 | 174 | 350 |
5th Placement | Norway | Queen of Kings | Alessandra | 52 | 216 | 268 |
How Is the Eurovision Winner Selected?
The qualifiers of the semi-finals are determined by public vote via phone and sms or by using the Eurovision Song Contest app. The top 10 qualifying countries from each semi final, as voted for by the public, progress to the final competition.
The Eurovision Song Contest final operates slightly differently. In addition to public voting, a cast of 5 judges for each country also gives their verdict on each song to create a top 10. Points are awarded to each performer, from a minimum of 1 point to a maximum of 12 (no 9 or 11 points). Two sets of points are tallied for each participating country to determine the overall contest winner.
Our Top 10 Tips for Betting on the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023
If you're keen to get in on this year's Eurovision betting action, here are 10 top Eurovision betting tips that might help you choose some potential winners:
Do your research: It pays to be in the know when it comes to this competition, so take your time to find out who's performing what. Think about each performer's makeup (eg. solo, duo, group), their actual physical performance (eg. dance, costumes) and the content of their song (eg. lyrics, music).
Think about the voting system: Remember that both public votes and the judges' opinions are used to determine the final results, so try to anticipate how the judges are likely to vote and what they might be looking for.
Check out the bookies' odds: It's the job of bookmakers to keep a close eye on the competition and give each participating country appropriate odds. If one country's odds have drifted (ie. less likely to win), it's for a reason. Track the odds for a better idea of how the competition might pan out.
Learn from history: Looking back at the various participating countries' performances and outcomes from previous years could give you an important insight into how they might perform this time around.
Watch the warm-ups: In the run-up to the semi finals and final, each country spends lots of time rehearsing their act to get it just right. These rehearsals are often televised, giving you an ideal opportunity to check out each country's performance first hand and judge for yourself if they are winning material!
Track social media: As we all know, social media is where all the juicy gossip happens first, so it's worth following the Eurovision Song Contest's channels on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other popular social media platforms. You can usually find each country's act represented on social media too, which might give you another perspective to draw upon when choosing how to bet.
Consider the politics: There's no getting away from it, politics always comes into the Eurovision Song Contest in some form. Neighbouring countries tend to vote favourably for each other, historical enemies might be tempted to judge each other more harshly and events in the news can have an impact on how points are awarded.
Choose your bet carefully: As you've seen earlier in this article, there are several different bets you can choose from when it comes to the Eurovision Song Contest, with some offering more attractive odds than others. While many people are content with just an outright winner bet, you might want to add in a bit more variety to spice up the competition with bets such as Top Balkan, Semi Final 1 Winner, Top 10 and Top Big 5.
Time it right: Timing can make the difference between a small win and a huge one! Odds can vary drastically between the first publish and those presented on the night. You might want to consider betting early if you see favourable odds, then adding a few other bets in to hedge those initial ones.
Try not to bet on your favourite song: This might seem counter-intuitive, but betting on your favourite song is a rookie mistake that usually results in losses. Instead, think about the criteria that the judges use to come to their decisions and try to do the same, analysing each act from an objective point of view.
Happy Betting on Eurovision 2023!
Whether you love it or hate it, the Eurovision Song Contest has a tendency to suspend our stressful lives for a short time, allowing us to take a step back, come together and celebrate the creative skills of some of the world's most talented performers. While it's true that politics does creep through at times, for the most part the competition is a fun and thrilling affair, offering an impressive amount of variety to enjoy. Just like with other popular events, the Eurovision Song Contest offers the perfect opportunity to spice things up with some betting. Hopefully you now have everything you need to nail this year's competition and celebrate more than just the winning country!
Eurovision Song Contest Betting FAQs
Still have unanswered questions about Eurovision Song Contest betting? Check out our FAQs below.
Yes, you certainly can! Betting on the Eurovision Song Contest is very popular and this year's competition is expected to be no different. There are numerous different ESC bets to choose from, allowing you to spice up the contest even more!
The Eurovision Song Contest is funded in various ways through broadcaster fees, contributions from the host country's broadcaster and/or government, and generated revenue through sponsorship deals, etc. It's difficult to pin down an exact figure for how much each of the Big 5 countries contributes to the competition. However, it's been claimed that in terms of how much the Big 5 pay, the UK's BBC is contributing £17 million, with another £10 million from the government (ie. taxpayers) and £4 million from Liverpool's local authorities. Compare this to the average contribution by other countries of £135,000.
The answer to that question comes down to personal preference. Whether you like the competition or not, Eurovision betting might add an extra level of excitement for you as it gives you the chance to win money based on the various outcomes of the event.
The winner of the Eurovision Song Contest gets to perform their winning number once more on the night, take home the coveted glass microphone trophy and host the following year's competition. Though it's unusual for a league style competition not to dish out financial rewards, the idea is that winning the competition will result in catapulting the victors to fame and all its associated benefits.
Eurovision betting odds are calculated by taking a number of influencing factors into account, such as the quality of each participant's performance, the countries' previous performance(s), and even political and social events. Bookmakers also compare their odds against each other to avoid excessive risk.
The Eurovision Song Contest runs on a non-profit basis, with costs such as broadcasting, staging and accommodation covered by the contribution of fees by each participating country's broadcaster and/or government. These fees are usually based on each country's means, with more affluent countries contributing more.
The favourite to win the Eurovision 2023 with 4/5 odds is Sweden’s “Tattoo” by Loreen, the same artist who had previously won the Eurovision in 2012 with “Euphoria”.
The United Kingdom has won the Eurovision Song Contest on five separate occasions. The first victory was claimed in 1967 by Sandy Shaw with her winning song "Puppet on a String". The most recent achievement was 26 years ago, precisely in 1997, when Katrina and the Waves emerged victorious with their hit song "Love Shine a Light". The remaining three winners of this competition are Lulu, Bucks Fizz, and Brotherhood of Man. Regrettably, the UK holds the record for having the most second-place finishes, falling just short of the top spot on 16 occasions, with Sam Ryder being the most recent addition to this list of runner-ups from last year.
Yes, you can! Many top UK bookmakers will allow players to bet and win real money on the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.
Fact-checked by Julia Attard
Senior Author & Online Casino Expert