Eurovision betting guide - How to bet on Eurovision
Table of contents
- How Eurovision betting works
- Eurovision Betting Markets
- How to prepare your Eurovision bets
- Award stats
- How to bet on Eurovision at LeoVegas
Eurovision is always an exciting night. The whole of Europe comes together and offers their musical best (and sometimes funniest). It makes for a great party night. In this Eurovision betting guide, we’re also exploring how it is an ideal candidate for gambling if you feel confident that you can predict the winners of Eurovision.
How Eurovision betting works
While many of us think about the big night when it comes to Eurovision, there are actually semi-finals before the big event.
On the night of the event, there are plenty of Eurovision betting markets to explore, but you can also get involved before that. During the semi-finals, a televote is used to decide which countries will qualify for the big event. There are fewer gambling markets as a result, but you can usually just bet on who will qualify.
There are 26 entries in the grand final, and six spaces are reserved for the hosting country, in addition to the “Big Five” members who don’t need to qualify. The Big Five members are the five countries with the biggest contribution to the organisation running the competition, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
There are also sometimes guests involved in the final which should be considered when checking out a Eurovision betting guide. For instance, Australia has been invited to perform as a guest before.
Normally, the countries participating must be a member of the EBU, with broadcasters being a part of the European Broadcasting Area or a member state of the Council of Europe.
The voting system is split into two different parts, with both a public vote via telephone and the second part of the points being allocated by industry professionals. Each of these parts can allocate points to the songs they think are best. There is usually some drama involved in working out the final scores when the points from the public vote are added to those from the panels.
Eurovision betting markets
There are many different types of Eurovision bets that you can get involved in if you want to.
The earliest betters can undertake ante-post betting offering the earliest possible prices. The odds will change and fluctuate as time goes on, especially as rumours and critical responses arise before the tournament.
Knowing how to bet on Eurovision is crucial if you want to have a flutter on the night. Some of the markets include:
- Head-to-head. Bet on who will get more points and finish higher on the leaderboard between the two countries. At LeoVegas, you will find odds for a straight head-to-head bet.
- Winner. Of course, the country to win Eurovision is going to be one of the most popular markets. This is betting on the outright winner of the event, but you may also be able to bet each way, with a percentage of the odds paying out on an each-way bet if the country finishes in certain positions in the rankings.
- Top 3. You can bet on a country to finish in the top three of the overall rankings too. You’ll get lower odds than a winner bet but more chances to make a right guess.
- Regional bets. For instance, the best Nordic country. This lets you bet on certain categories and adds a bit more interest in terms of the Eurovision betting markets. Even if you don’t think a country will win, there may be certain bets you do like.
- Total points over or under. It is possible to bet on how many points a country will receive in total, with under- or over-markets allowing you to decide how an individual song and performance will be received.
- Qualifying bets. Sometimes you can also place qualifying bets before the competition.
How to prepare your Eurovision bets
Now you know how to bet on Eurovision and the betting markets, but how can you choose the countries and entries you think will do well?
Follow the news
You should always check out the news and what is being said about certain entries. You can perform searches for the local media and with the help of Google Translate, you might even be able to work out exactly what sort of things the local media is saying. If you search for “Eurovision Sweden”, you will find a lot of people talking about the entry. The same is true for “Eurovision Finland” and “Eurovision Ireland” and so on. You can also work out whether they are even participating.
Some people think that current events in the world also impact how the voting might go, especially with the public vote, so the news can help you to predict any biases too.
Check popularity on social media
We definitely live in the age of social media, which provides one way to check out the entries before you gamble. Pay close attention to what is being said about the entries and whether they are getting a lot of likes and shares. While this is no guarantee, it can be a good sign that an entry might be worth including in your Eurovision bets. Of course, a big part of the event is making sure you have checked out what you like and who you will be rooting for on the day. Might be worth checking the options other than your home country too.
Check previous winners
Countries are known for giving points to their allies, and every Eurovision betting guide will probably say the same thing. As we can see from a quick look at history, there are some countries that tend to do very well. This is a bit like studying a team’s form before betting on them. You can also read our Eurovision betting tips for some ideas.
Bet responsibly
Always bet responsibly and only bet what you can afford to lose on your Eurovision bets. It should always be fun, and you shouldn’t be chasing losses. There are multiple agencies that can offer you support if you are struggling. You can read more in our LeoSafePlay guide.
Award stats
The statistics from history definitely make for some interesting reading. Some countries have done a lot better than others when it comes to historical events, and even some relative minnows, such as Luxembourg, have a rich history.
Countries with most Eurovision awards
Eurovision has a rich history, and there have been many different winners over the years. We do see certain patterns and countries that do very well.
Obtaining seven victories, Ireland won Eurovision most times, which may be surprising when you consider the size of the country. Sweden is in second place with six victories.
The United Kingdom, Netherlands, France, and Luxembourg each have five wins to their names.
Countries with no Eurovision awards
There are many countries that go into every year crossing their fingers for their first win or countries that entered once but no longer actually exist! Malta has competed over 30 times without ever managing to win.
The list of countries without a win includes: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Australia, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, Iceland, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, (North) Macedonia, Poland, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia.
How to bet on Eurovision at LeoVegas
You’ve done your research, and you know the Eurovision betting markets. Now it is time to place your bets on this year's Eurovision song contest.
- Open an account at LeoVegas by clicking the “Open Account” button and entering some simple details. If you already have an account, then you can simply log in.
- Search “Eurovision” or find the Eurovision-related markets that are offered. These are displayed more prominently close to the date of the event.
- Choose your betting markets and Eurovision odds. With numerous markets, there are many different ways to bet on Eurovision besides who is going to win the event.
- Check the betting odds and add your selections to your betslip.
- Place your bets. Enter your stake and click “Place Bet” to put money on the country or bet line you’ve chosen. You will see a confirmation window appear.
The process is straightforward. You can place your bets and get back to the important business of watching the whole event. You can bet via the LeoVegas app or directly on the website.
Conclusions
Whether it is the first time you’ve ever watched the Eurovision Song Contest, or it is something that you do every single year, there is always something new and interesting in this unpredictable event. There are often outsider countries that aren’t fancied, which go on to do really well. Similarly, there are no guarantees that the favourites will be up there at the end.
As long as you are betting responsibly, it can add a little bit of interest on the night and give you something else to talk about with your friends and family while you watch the drama unfold, all the time judging which you think are the best entries in the whole tournament or who will get “nil point”.