The Eurovision Song Contest has been operating as an international song competition since 1956, and with the exception of the cancelled event in 2020, it has taken place every single year. As the longest-running annual international televised music competition in the world, it has grown over the decades, incorporating more countries and utilising semi-finals as of 2008 to end up with 26 countries in the grand final. This always includes the Big Five countries of France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom, each of whom contributes the most to the event financially. And it may potentially surprise you to learn that sportsbooks present betting on the contest each year, too. As one of the year’s highlight entertainment shows, you too can engage in Eurovision betting.
So, what are the betting odds provided on for the event, and how can you engage in such wagering yourself? Well, follow our guide and we will provide you with all of the necessary information. Then, you can proceed with betting on Estonia, Cyprus, Russia, Ireland or any other participating country.
Perhaps back in 1956 when only seven countries participated in the contest, betting on the winner was not quite as big a deal. However, with 39 countries having submitted entries for the 2021 event, Eurovision Song Contest betting is really quite the appealing option for many people today. Of course, many different platforms provide access to such entertainment betting, so which one do you sign up to and wager at? Well, we have a selection of the top 10 bookmakers for this, and all of them provide inviting Eurovision odds.
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You may have a desire to compare Eurovision betting with something like horse racing wagering or other sports. However, it is quite different considering it only happens once a year. Countries such as the Netherlands, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Moldova, Georgia and others will all be competing in 2021, so what do you need to look out for when choosing a Eurovision betting site? Well, as this year’s contest gets ready to take place in Rotterdam, it is time for you to choose the best bookmaker for you. So, here are some features of the sites to look out for when selecting one:
With so many countries participating in the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest, it may be difficult to try and figure out which one stands the best chance of winning. Of course, nothing is certain, and really it will depend upon both the performances in the two semi-finals and the grand final. Votes by independent juries and telephone votes will be tallied together to provide the overall winner. However, we can take a look at what the bookies are saying about the entries so far. Malta stands out ahead for the moment, but Switzerland, France, Italy and Bulgaria are not far behind. Here are some of the best Eurovision betting odds:
While it would be commonplace to just think that sportsbooks will be providing Eurovision betting odds on the overall winner, there is much more to it than that. Naturally, the contest’s winner is the primary focus for many punters, but additional markets are also available to access and place wagers on. Not all platforms provide betting on multiple markets, and instead stick with the basic overall winner. However, you can find some UK bookies that offer odds on extra possibilities. The following markets are usually available for betting on:
This bet is on who you believe will be the overall winner of the Eurovision Song Contest by the end of the grand final.
You can place a wager on one or more countries that you believe will finish in the top 10, 5, 4 or 3 by the end of the grand final.
With two semi-finals occurring prior to the grand final, you can place wagers on these events, too. Bets include wagering on the qualifying countries, the country to finish in last place and the countries in the top 3 positions.
Eurovision betting can be thoroughly exciting, especially if you intend to watch the contest unfold and see if your wagers pay off. However, if you have never placed bets on the Eurovision Song Contest before, then you may want to take a few tips away with you. That is precisely what we have here for you. This way, you will know whether to bet on Norway, Macedonia, Austria, Ukraine or Israel!
Based on the Sanremo Music Festival held in Italy since 1951, the Eurovision Song Contest was introduced in 1956. It stemmed from a desire to promote cooperation between European countries in the years following the Second World War through cross-border television broadcasts. It was also through this that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) rose to heightened prominence. Active members of the EBU, as well as invited associate members, have the possibility of competing in the contest each year.
While many people believe that it is a European contest, this is not quite the case. EBU countries include locations like Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Israel, Australia, Morocco and even Lebanon and Tunisia. All of these countries are therefore eligible to enter the Eurovision Song Contest, if they so wish to in the future.
The contest has often provided artists with a local career boost, although others have achieved international success following their participation. Acts like ABBA, Celine Dion and Olivia Newton-John have all participated in the Eurovision event in the past.
The rules dictate that original songs must be submitted from all participating countries and must be no longer than three minutes each. No more than six people can be on the stage at any given time during performances. All submitted entries, other than the Big 5 songs from Germany, Italy, Spain, France and the United Kingdom, must then compete in two separate semi-finals to produce the 26 grand final songs. In the grand final, televiewers submit their votes for their favourite song(s), and these votes are then combined with a professional jury’s votes from each country.
If you are intending to both engage in Eurovision betting and watch the show as it airs live, then this is possible. However, you will not be able to do this in one and the same location. While sportsbooks do provide betting on the contest, they do not live stream the event while it is happening. Instead, you can live stream the event through the official Eurovision website and Eurovision.tv or via the official YouTube channel for the brand. Alternatively, you have the possibility of watching the semi-finals on BBC Four on May 18 and May 20 this year, with the grand final being aired live on BBC One on May 22. The contest will be accessible on catch-up via the BBC iPlayer, should you not be able to view it live.
When it comes to Eurovision betting, there is perhaps no singing contest that provides more entertainment and thrills. And if you watch it live as well, then there is little doubt that you will have an exceptional experience. As long as you are wagering at it through a recommended and trustworthy online sportsbook, then you will likely find yourself getting plenty of enjoyment from it. All of the bookmakers that we have recommended feature excellent Eurovision betting odds, meaning that you can enjoy wagering on Greece, Finland, Ireland, Spain or whoever you choose as your favourite.
No, not always. Countries have the option of submitting a song or withdrawing from the contest on a year-by-year basis, if they so wish. For the 2021 contest, countries including Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Armenia will not be returning. However, both Bulgaria and Ukraine are returning after being absent at the 2019 contest. Furthermore, Belarus did not submit a song that adheres to the guidelines in time, meaning that it is not competing in 2021.
While it is not possible for you to vote for your own country in the contest, you can still place a bet on it winning, if you so wish. Therefore, if you live in the United Kingdom, you cannot vote for the entry in the grand final, but you can bet on it winning, if that is your selection.
Ireland has secured the most victories in the Eurovision Song Contest, racking up seven wins so far. Its last win came in 1996 when Eimear Quinn secured 162 points with her song “The Voice”. Germany has competed in the contest more times than any other country, only missing out on one of them.
The Big Five countries participating in the Eurovision Song Contest are France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. These five countries provide more financial assistance to the contest than anywhere else, meaning that their song submissions go straight to the final as a consequence. This is why punters cannot bet on them in semi-final wagering.
Because the contest welcomes participants from active members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). While this does primarily serve European countries, other locations are also members of it. This includes Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia. Associate members include countries like Australia, Canada, China, Georgia, New Zealand, Syria and the United States of America. This means that, theoretically, all of those countries can submit, and in several circumstances have submitted, a song for the contest, too.
Jack is a freelance writer working in the iGaming and betting industry for over seven years. He is specialized in football and tennis betting but has also plenty of knowledge in betting on all kind of sports.
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