Eurovision betting is not a new thing, and it has been making the competition more interesting to follow for years now, especially for fans who are not in it just for the music.
It has happened times before that the bookmakers’ favourites ended up winning the contest, so you should take the odds and predictions seriously. However, Eurovision 2024 brought a surprise winner for the bookmakers, as Switzerland was their third favourite for the victory.
Who are this year’s favourites for the victory? Are your personal favourites faring well with the bookmakers? Where to bet on Eurovision? Read on to find out more.
Eurovision Song Contest - How It All Began
After the establishment of the Eurovision Network and its first broadcasts in 1954, the Italian RAI suggested introducing a music contest based on the format of the Sanremo Music Festival. Hence, the first Eurovision Song Contest happened on 24 May 1956 in Switzerland.
Italy, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands competed in the first Edition, and the winner was Switzerland’s Lys Assia. Austria, Denmark and the United Kingdom joined the event in 1957 when the new voting system was introduced.
There have been 68 editions of the Eurovision Song Contest since, and the only cancelled event was the 2020 Eurovision due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When Loreen won the contest for the second time in 2023, Sweden won its seventh title and tied Ireland’s record for the most wins.
Many songs became popular after Eurovision, such as Domenico Modugno’s "Nel blu, dipinto di blu" ("Volare"), ABBA’s Waterloo, Brotherhood of Man and "Save Your Kisses for Me", and all the way to Loreen’s "Euphoria" and "Zitti e buoni" by Måneskin.
How the Eurovision Song Contest Works?
The format has changed many times over the years, and so has the voting system, the number of participating countries and rules about the participating songs. All that led to the rules we have in place today, and we’ll give you a brief overview of what you should know:
- There are two semi-final events, held on Tuesday and Thursday, followed by the grand finale on Saturday, typically all in May.
- Ten contestants from each semi-final event progress to the grand finale.
- The so-called ‘Big Five’ (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) and the host country are directly through to the final event.
- Participating broadcasters (one for each country) must select the song for the contest by mid-March.
- All songs are performed and broadcast live by the European Broadcasting Union and participating member broadcasters.
- All songs must be original, made specially for the event and not last more than three minutes.
- Each participating country has two sets of votes (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 12): one is awarded by the jury consisting of music professionals, and the other is by the viewers.
- Only countries participating in the given semi-final and the "rest of the world" countries can vote in that semi-final.
- Televotes are all presented together after the votes from all national juries.
- The winner is the participant with the most overall points, and they get to perform the song once again at the end of the show.
Eurovision Past Winners
As we have already mentioned, Ireland and Sweden hold the record with seven wins each. France, Luxembourg, Netherlands and the UK have won five times, and Israel four.
Many enthusiasts bet on Eurovision, and the bookmakers’ and bettors’ success rate in predicting the winner is around 50%. This is the list of the winners in the past ten years:
- 2014 - Austria, 'Rise Like A Phoenix' performed by Conchita Wurst
- 2015 - Sweden, 'Heroes' performed by Mans Zelmerlow
- 2016 - Ukraine, '1944' performed by Jamala
- 2017 - Portugal, 'Amar pelos dois' performed by Salvador Sobral
- 2018 - Israel, 'Toy' performed by Netta
- 2019 - Netherlands, 'Arcade' performed by Duncan Laurence
- 2020 - The competition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- 2021 - Italy, 'Zitti e Buoni' performed by Måneskin
- 2022 - Ukraine, 'Stefania' performed by Kalush Orchestra
- 2023 - Sweden, 'Tattoo' performed by Loreen
- 2024 - Switzerland, 'The Code' performed by Nemo
Why Has Eurovision Betting Become as Popular as Watching It?
The rise of online betting and many sportsbooks introducing Eurovision Song Contest betting into their offering have significantly contributed to the overall popularity of Eurovision betting.
Songs that stand out on YouTube are fan favourites, and they enjoy backing them with the bookmakers, even if they don’t typically bet on sports. If for no other reason than to show support.
If we also include all the thrills and often controversies surrounding the event, it’s no wonder why so many people wish to chip in and experience all the excitement surrounding the contest. The moment when everything changes with the final votes makes the whole thing even more enticing.
How to Bet on Eurovision - Step by Step
Eurovision betting is not much different from betting on sports, so if you are an experienced bettor, the only thing you should pay attention to is where to find the markets. After that, everything else is a regular betting process.
However, if you are new to betting, here’s a short guide on how to bet on Eurovision:
- Look for a bookmaker that offers Eurovision betting markets. You will typically find them under Specials or Novelty Betting.
- If you are claiming a bonus, read the terms and conditions carefully to make sure you can use it to bet on specials.
- Sign up with the bookmaker you choose, and remember to make a qualifying deposit if you choose to claim a welcome bonus offer.
- Head to the Specials offer and locate Eurovision.
- Pick the market you wish to bet on and pick your favourite to add the selection to the bet slip.
- Enter the amount you wish to wager and confirm your bet.
- Enjoy the show and wait for the outcome of your bet.
Closer Look at the Most Popular Eurovision Betting Markets
The most exciting market when it comes to betting on Eurovision is predicting the contest winner. Since the favourite, according to the odds, doesn’t always end up being the winner (even though it hasn’t happened often in the past few years), it makes the betting experience even more fun.
Our Eurovision betting tips are to:
- Read about the songs and performers to see if they could get extra support because of their reputation or the reputation of the country they come from.
- Check their social media profiles, especially because of their interaction with the fans.
- Consider whether the judges will have an additional reason to like one song or performer over another.
- Keep in mind that sometimes the favourites of the general public don’t end up winning because of the judges’ votes.
With that in mind, here are the most popular markets to consider when you look to place a bet on Eurovision:
Overall Winner
You can bet on your favourite to win the Eurovision Song Contest, and if you make your bet early, you can snatch some good odds, especially if your candidate is not considered an absolute favourite.
According to the odds we can find on the bookmakers’ websites when it comes to Eurovision 2025 betting, Sweden and Austria are given almost equal chances of winning this year.
Semi-Finals Winners
When betting on the contest winner, keep in mind that the performer will maybe need to go through the semi-final first. If your selection is among the favourites, you can also bet on them to win their respective semi-final event.
Eurovision Top 10
To be honest, it doesn’t really pay off to bet on favourites in the Top 10 market because the odds are very low. Consider backing some other contestants who are faring well with the bookmakers but are not the favourites to win the Eurovision.
Last-Place Finish
This is a market that is not as popular as the winner market, so sometimes, sportsbooks don’t offer it in their Eurovision markets. Sometimes, you cannot find them among early outright markets because they become available later on. If you wish to bet on the last-place finish, make sure to check the offers regularly.
Eurovision Song Contest in Numbers - Interesting Stats
While the trivia and interesting stats might not influence people’s decisions when they bet on Eurovision, it is still nice to know some of these, especially for punters who like analysing statistics. Here’s some Eurovision trivia:
- A total of 27 countries have won the Eurovision at least once over the years.
- Finland and Norway finished in the infamous last spot ten times, followed by Germany, who finished last nine times.
- Ukraine has qualified for the final in each of its 14 appearances.
- The United Kingdom finished second in the final 16 times in its 66 appearances.
- Germany is a record-holder for the number of appearances, having participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 67 times.
- A total of 52 countries have competed in the Eurovision historically.
- Italy’s Nunzio Gallo’s song "Corde della mia chitarra" lasted a record 5 minutes and 9 seconds in the 1957 Eurovision. The 3-minute rule was implemented after that event.
- Belgium’s Sandra Kim was the youngest Eurovision winner. She was 13 when she won the contest in 1986.
- Salvador Sobral from Portugal won the most points in the final of the 2017 event, 758.
Good luck with your Eurovision betting, and let your favourite win.
