Betting on Eurovision

Since 1956, the Eurovision Song Contest has lit up our screens and radios every single May. The tournament is the longest-running annual international televised musical competition in the world and is one of the world's longest-running television programmes.

52 Countries have entered the competition in its history, with 27 of those being the outright winner of that year's tournament. Switzerland and Lys Assia won the original contest with the song "Refrain". Who will win this years tournament and who will make the Grand Final?

Eurovision Betting Odds

As we head into the Eurovision Song Contest, the whole of Europe is wondering who will come out victorious this year.

However, before we get to the Grand Final, we have two semi-final shows to get through, where a number of countries will sing for the right to make it to the final.

Eurovision odds work just like any other market.

The more likely a nation is to win Eurovision, the lower its odds will be.

In the run-up to the event, odds for both semi-finals are available, followed by a wide range of odds for the final of the competition.

How does Eurovision work?

To understand the methods behind Eurovision betting, you must have at least an inclination of how Eurovision works as a competition.

Eurovision is split into three shows, two semi-finals and one final.

The European Broadcasting Union organises the competition, and one act will represent their country every year.

Each country has until March to pick their song and artist, the methods of which are different in every country. Some countries have their own contests to determine the outright winner for their own country.

All chosen participants then compete at the Eurovision Song Contest, which is held every May.

Traditionally, the first of the semi-finals takes place on Tuesday Evening, with the second taking place on Thursday Evening, before a Grand Final on Saturday night that determines the outright winner of the competition.

Every country outside of the 'Big Five' broadcasting countries and the host nation will battle it out in the semi-finals before being joined by the Big Five in the final.

The rules for the tournament are as follows:

• Songs must be 100% original and no more than 3 minutes in length
• Lead vocals must be performed live
• No more than six performers may be on the stage during one performance.

After all countries have performed their songs, a judging panel in each country will give points to their top 10 acts.

These points are tallied up to accumulate the country's votes.

During this time, fans around the world will be voting for their favourite acts, and the 10 countries with the most votes will be given a points total from that country, similar to the judges' votes.

Eurovision Betting Markets

Eurovision Outright Winner Betting

The main betting market for Eurovision is of course, the outright winner market where odds for each country to win the Eurovision Song Contest are shown.

These will vary at different times of the competition, with the Big Five often taking high spots in the betting due to their guaranteed entry into the Grand Final.

However, once the songs are announced and bookies have had a chance to listen to the music, you often find the betting odds for these countries significantly shift.

Eurovision Top 3 Betting

Eurovision's equivalent to each way betting is top three betting. This means that you will receive a payout if the country you've chosen finishes first, second or third.

Unlike each-way betting, you won't receive a higher payout for finishing first or have to double your stake, but it provides a fantastic opportunity to have a little insurance on your bet.

Eurovision Top 10 Betting

If you're supporting a nation like the United Kingdom, which tends to finish towards the bottom of the Eurovision song contest in most years, you may be looking at the top 10 as your chosen betting market. This will payout if the chosen nation finishes anywhere in the top 10.

Head to Head Eurovision Betting

Some nations dominate Eurovision, and some simply compete with each other, such as the Nordic Countries, the Balkan Countries, the original five (five nations that don't have to qualify), and more!

You can bet on the winning nation in these areas of the world as they all look to win the Eurovision Song Contest.

Eurovision Final Qualification Betting

Perhaps the easiest market to bet on is the qualification betting for the final of the Eurovision Song Contest.

Odds for this market will be significantly lower as typically half of the field qualifies for the next round of the competition, so if Sweden produces a semi-decent song, you know it's virtually guaranteed that they'll qualify.

At the same time, smaller countries tend to struggle and are best avoided for bets. However, if you believe that the best song at the Eurovision Song Contest is from a smaller country, you could find fantastic betting odds for that bet.

Eurovision Betting: History of Winners

15 countries have won the Eurovision Song Contest more than once in their history. Find all nations that have won the competition multiple times. Their details are below.

It may come as a massive surprise to many that Ireland sits at the top of the outright winners board. They haven't won the competition since winning four in five years between 1992 and 1996, and are often closer to the bottom of our Eurovision odds now instead of at the top. However, as we learned from the United Kingdom in 2022, things can change very quickly, as the UK went from nil points in 2021 to second place behind Ukraine in 2022 with Sam Ryder.

Eurovision Betting FAQs

Who are the big five in Eurovision?

The Big Five in Eurovision are France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. This is down to the size of the broadcasting agency rather than their performance in the music tournament, meaning, this should in no way influence your bets.

Are Australia in Eurovision?

Yes. Australia are taking part in Eurovision. Despite Australia being outside of the European Broadcasting Area, the ORF permitted Australia an entry in the 2015 contest as the SBS released "Tonight Again" by Guy Sebastian. For the 60th Anniversary, they were invited as a "gesture of goodwill" and have been consistent at the tournament since, due to their popularity.

Where can I watch and bet on the Eurovision Song Contest?

The Eurovision Song Contest can be viewed on the BBC platform for all three nights of action. If you're looking to bet on the competition as you watch, you can do so at BetUK.