The Eurovision Song Contest, often abbreviated as ESC, is an annual music competition globally broadcasted. Every European country participates with one song, and based on a point system, both by the judges and the audience, the winner is declared. On May 9-13, 2023, the 67th competition is scheduled with 40 entries, and music fanatics are set for some thrilling action. If you think this will also translate to multiple betting opportunities, you are right. Eurovision 2023 bookmakers are abundant and can be lucrative if you follow a proper strategy.
So, how can you tell which are the best ESC 2023 bookmakers and what makes them stand out? We evaluate the main factors are high odds, diverse and multiple markets, & regular bonuses. Our Eurovision betting tips cover the winner and top-3 and top-5 finishers, plus several special bets with high returns in our Entertainment betting guide.
Best Bookmaker for Eurovision 2023
The options are many for your next sportsbook. However, they do not score the same where it matters. We have shortlisted the top ESC 2023 bookmakers with the best ratings from our team that are ideal both for recreational and high-stakes players.
Eurovision 2023 Betting Preview
Semi-Finals: 9-13 May 2023.
Final: 13 May 2023.
Venue: Μ&S Bank Arena, Liverpool.
Entries: 40.
Since the inception of the ESC, every European country has been invited to compete at least once. The Big Five (United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany and Spain) participate automatically because they are the highest-paying EBU members. Since the entries expanded beyond Europe’s borders with countries like Australia competing, a semi-final was introduced in 2004, becoming two in 2008. The structure attempts to limit bloc voting, i.e. friendly countries voting for each other.
Also Read: Where to bet on the Grammys.
Eurovision Betting Tips & Predictions
The bread and butter of Eurovision betting is the winner. The semi-finals could complicate things, but the songs expected to challenge for first place should not have any issues qualifying. Due to the sheer number of participants, a clear image of who is the frontrunner can be tricky. This is where we step in. Our research will guide you in finding the favourites and underdogs who could upset Eurovision 2023 bookmakers and give you some hefty winnings. You can also follow the same pattern for Sports Personality of the Year betting.
Eurovision 2023 Odds on the Favorites
The key to winning the ESC isn’t just how good a song is. It’s much more complicated than that, so Eurovision is one of the most unpredictable betting events. Political developments, country lobbies, and order of appearance are some of the factors we considered. Eurovision 2023 odds show some clear favourites, plus leaks from each country can help us determine who is the most likely to win.
Sweden
Sweden's representative, Loreen, is the betting favourite to top the competition with the song 'Tattoo'. If she succeeds, she will be the first singer (outside of a band) to win the trophy twice. Her first time was in 2012 with the song 'Euphoria'. Generally, it makes sense to back favourites in the Eurovision. They have won it in every of the last three years. There is a lot of speculation before the event, with analysis by several music sites.
✔️ Sweden ⏩ To win Eurovision 2023 @2.00 (1/1).
Finland
If you are looking to back a country with better odds, then look no further than Finland. Käärijä's 'Cha Cha Cha' is a worth adversary to Sweden. On the one hand, the song has amounted more YouTube views than Tattoo. On the other, the scenic presentation of the song has already won a lot of followers. We suggest you wait until the final order of the songs is announced. If Finland goes after Sweden, it's time to pounce.
✔️ Finland ⏩ To win Eurovision 2023 @3.50 (5/2).
France
Switching places as a 2nd favourite with Finland, France's song 'Evidemment' has gained excellent reviews from critics and audiences alike. Counting on their vocal abilities, on-stage performance, and several instruments at play like the violin, guitar & drums, they rank high in Eurovision bookies odds. The fact that the song will be in French can make or break their case. After all, English songs have faired better in the competition historically.
✔️ France ⏩ To win Eurovision 2023 @10.00 (9/1).
Eurovision 2023 Odds on the Underdogs
Once the dust of the favourites clears, astute bettors can find some great chances in dark horses. As you can imagine, the Eurovision 2023 odds are much higher, albeit with a greater risk, but there is a high value on special bets. So, aside from winning, our recommendations below could be great choices for a top-3 or top-5 finish.
Ukraine
Under different circumstances, we would not think that 'Heart of Steel' would have won the Eurovision. However, public opinion contributes a lot to the voting. With the war still going on in Ukraine, the fans sympathise and are more likely to vote for Ukraine. This happened last year as well. Even if it doesn't win, we expect the song to finish in the top 5 in this year's Eurovision.
✔️ Ukraine ⏩ To win Eurovision 2023 @15.00 (14/1).
Australia
Despite the obvious distance from the rest of the competitors, Australia has been participating in the competition for a few years now. The best place so far was back in 2016 when Australia come in second with the song 'Promise'. Even though I don't believe the entry has many realistic chances of winning, they can still achieve a solid position. But their odds at new bookmakers in Australia suggest that they might be good for a small, fun bet.
✔️ Australia ⏩ To win Eurovision 2023 @201.00 (200/1).
Top ESC 2023 Bookmakers Promotions
Once you get a good grip on our tips, you can enhance your chances of winning with an ESC bonus. Now, you should choose your bonus wisely, considering your bet. Eurovision betting sites will run Enhanced Odds & Free Bets, both applicable to specific markets. In one case, you could choose Sweden with 'Tattoo' to win, but the odds are pretty low. With a Boosted Odds offer from 2.00, the price could be 2.50. A wager on Finland and Käärijä could give you a €/£10 Free Bet in a different example.
Which sites offer the best Eurovision Betting Odds
The 40 entries in the competition have fluctuating prices. However, top betting sites set the bar high by providing the best Eurovision Betting Odds for all candidates. We have singled out the top of them in our list, and picking them can translate to a nice balance top-up.
Winning Eurovision 2023 Betting
Our tips can be an excellent blueprint for some ESC winnings; a solid strategy, however, can make you a better player in the long run. Furthermore, you can apply it in more markets than the outright winner and use it in future contests. The most crucial factors in how to bet on specials, and Eurovision specifically, are.
Recent political events
Social, political or economic upheavals can be a deciding factor in the outcome of Eurovision. The war in Ukraine changed the socio-economic landscape, including the ESC. Last year, while the Kalush Orchestra ranked relatively high before the war broke out, it skyrocketed after. Still, notice that once any landmark event is over, the influence it exerts might diminish. So, if the war ends tomorrow, Ukraine’s ESC 2023 bookmakers' odds could go up.
The Eurovision Country Lobbies
Anyone willing to bet on the Eurovision 2023 Song Contest needs to understand controversies and geopolitics. Even though it’s meant to be a politics-free zone, Eurovision is often nothing but politics. Some countries have extremely good relations on a geopolitical level. Therefore they tend to vote for each other even if their songs don’t merit the vote. Of course, some claim that certain countries allocate disproportionately high points to others because of similar musical tastes and cultures or because they speak similar languages. Notable examples include the former Soviet bloc countries, nations from the former Yugoslavia, and Scandinavian countries.
Order of Appearance
The organisers avoid placing songs in the same genre one after another, so don’t expect to listen to two ballads or dance songs in a row. The Eurovision running order is particularly important from a betting point of view. The songs with the best Eurovision Bookies odds to win in the semifinals and final usually come at the show's end, so the voters listen to them last and have them fresh in their memory during voting compared to the ones they heard at the begging of the show.
Among the many Eurovision bookies that offer some kind of relevant betting, we hand-picked bet365, 22bet and Unibet. They are great all-around sportsbooks with competitive odds, many events and rich bonuses.
An excellent betting strategy would calculate the latest political developments, country lobbies & bloc-voting and the order of appearance. All the above culminate in our tips, which consider all these aspects.
Despite Ukraine winning last year, it is unrealistic for the contest to be held there. This is why it is going to be in the Μ&S Bank Arena in Liverpool from May 9th till May 13th.
The frontrunner is Loreen from Sweden with ‘’Tattoo’’, a rap-folk song. Eurovision 2023 bookmakers offer them at odds of around 2.00. Finland and France complete the likely top-3 finisher list.
You can find markets for the ESC winner at bet365, which ranks Sweden first at 2.00, Finland second at 3.50 and France third at 10.00. If you chase a dark horse, the United Kingdom at 19.00 could be worth it.