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 10-14, 2023, the 66th 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.
List of the best ESC 2023 Bookmakers
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: 10-12 May 2023
Final: 14 May 2023
Venue: Pala Alpitour, Turin, Italy
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.
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.
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, 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.
Ukraine
This one is a no brainer, as the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine dominates the news. There have been several consequences in sports and cultural events due to the war, and Eurovision is not untouched. Ukraine selected Kalush Orchestra with the song ‘’Stefania’’ to represent it, while the initial choice was different but changed for political reasons. A folk-rap song in the Ukrainian language describes the lifetime of the narrator’s mother. Already a favourite, due to the recent events, it has climbed on top of Eurovision 2023 bookmakers odds. However, remember that if the war ends, the tide could turn for the Ukrainian entry.
✔️ Ukraine ⏩ to win Eurovision 2023 @2.10 (11/10)
Italy
Last year’s winner aspires to rechallenge the award with Mahmood and Blanco singing ‘’Brividi’’. Following the traditional selection process by RAI, the duo won as it combined pop with classical music themes and Italian lyrics. Brividi is about a spouse desperate to find out how he can make his significant other open up and make the relationship work. The song became a massive hit in Italy, with more than 300,000 singles sold and broke the stream record on Spotify.
✔️ Italy ⏩ to win Eurovision 2023 @4.50 (35/10)
Sweden
One of the countries with the most wins (six) aims to add another one with Cornelia Jakobs and ‘’Hold Me Closer.’’ Counting on her vocal abilities, on-stage performance, and several instruments at play like the violin, guitar & drums, Sweden ranks third in Eurovision bookies odds. The fact that she sings in English (about a partner unwilling to let the other go) could attract an even wider audience giving her extra points.
✔️ Sweden ⏩ to win Eurovision 2023 @6.00 (5/1)
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.
United Kingdom
Despite having won the contest five times and participating 63, the UK's recent history in the ESC has been less than impressive. Sam Ryder with ‘’Space Man’’ is considered by Eurovision 2023 bookmakers as a strong candidate mixing classic pop tunes with Ryder’s distinctive voice. The lyrics are about an astronaut unsatisfied with what he sees in space, eager to return home and his loved one. Even if it does not win, it could be a top-3 entrance boosted by a solid box office success.
✔️ The United Kingdom ⏩ to win Eurovision 2023 @15.00 (14/1)
Greece
After a recent unsuccessful streak, Greece returned last year with a top-10 finish and hopes to do even better in 2023. The Greek-Norwegian Amanda Georgiadis Tenfjord with ‘’Die Together’’ has caused quite a stir in the ESC community. The lyrics describe the end of a relationship, with one partner even contemplating ending both lives as a way to stay together forever. Amanda’s voice got great reviews helping the song rank high in Eurovision 2023 bookmakers odds. A top-3 finish is well within reach.
✔️ Greece ⏩ to win Eurovision 2023 @19.00 (18/1)
Poland
The Eastern European country has yet to win a contest but has high ambitions this year thanks to Krystian Ochman and ‘’River’’. The English lyrics speak about regret in a pop fashion which performed strongly in the charts. Although it is a dark horse for winning, a top-5 finish could be feasible, and Eurovision betting sites certainly think so.
✔️ Poland ⏩ to win Eurovision 2023 @21.00 (20/1)
Eurovision betting sites 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 Ukraine with the Kalush Orchestra 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 Sweden and Cornelia Jakobs could give you a €/£10 Free Bet in a different example.
How to bet on Eurovision 2023
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 on how to bet on Eurovision 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. 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.
Which sites offer the best Eurovision Betting Odds
The 40 entries in the competition have fluctuating prices, however, some bookies 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.
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.
Since the 2021 winner was the Italian band Måneskin, the contest will take place at Pala Alpitour in Turin. The first semi-final is scheduled for May 10, the second for May 12 and the Final for May 14, 2022.
The frontrunner is Kalush Orchestra from Ukraine with ‘’Stefania’’, a rap-folk song. Boosted by the people's sympathy due to the ongoing war, Eurovision 2022 bookmakers offer them at odds of around 2.00. Italy and Sweden complete the likely top-3 finisher list.
You can find markets for the ESC winner at bet365, which rank Ukraine first at 2.00, Italy second at 4.50 and Sweden third at 6.00. If you chase a dark horse, Greece at 19.00 could be worth it.
Sure, as the British bookie runs the outright winner's market, having all the entries available for betting. The frontrunners’ order does not change here as Ukraine, Italy and Sweden are ranked for the most likely top-3.