William Hill Donates Eurovision Profits
Author:
Jacob McKenzie
Leading bookmaker William Hill has pledged to donate 100% of its Eurovision profits to Support Ukraine. The operator has raised ￡200,000 for the Ukrainian appeal, which will help to support those displaced by the war. This year, the annual song contest was held in Liverpool on Ukraine’s behalf. Sweden’s Loreen made history, becoming the first female performer to win the competition twice.
It was a party atmosphere in Liverpool, as fans from around the world descended on the city to take in the atmosphere.?Rahul Pandit/Pexels
Loreen Wins Twice
William Hill has revealed that it has committed to donating all profits generated from its Eurovision market towards supporting relief efforts for displaced Ukrainians in the UK. The bookmaker made the announcement just 24 hours before the final competition was due to take place, committing at least ￡50,000 to the good cause.
That figure has now skyrocketed, thanks to the bets placed by William Hill customers and Eurovision fans. The sportsbook will donate ￡200,000 to the Ukrainian appeal, after the competition was won by Sweden’s entry Loreen. She is the first female artist to have won the competition twice, after securing victory for her country with ‘Euphoria’ in 2012.
Loreen’s entry for this year’s competition, ‘Tattoo’, has been a favorite amongst fans to win, going into the final with odds of 4/7. The pop star faced strong competition from Finland’s K??rij?, which won the public vote. However, Loreen won out with 583 points against K??rij?’s 526 points.
Loreen’s win means that Sweden are set to host next year’s competition, which will fall on the 50th anniversary of Abba’s famous victory with ‘Waterloo’ in 1974. This is Sweden’s seventh Eurovision win, placing it on a par with Ireland for the most Eurovision Song Contest wins ever. Accepting her trophy, Loreen described the atmosphere as overwhelming, adding
“I’m so grateful. I’m so thankful. In my wildest dreams, I didn’t think this would happen.”
Despite being on hosting duties this year, the UK’s entry fared less well. Mae Muller’s ‘I Wrote A Song’ accrued just 24 points, placing her in 25th place out of 26. Ahead of the final, Muller was tipped to finish in the top ten after garnering support from Ringo Starr and Lana Del Rey. It was not the result that British fans had hoped for, after Sam Ryder came in second place with ‘Space Man’ last year.
Support for Ukraine
100% of profits raised from all bets placed in William Hill’s Eurovision markets will be donated to the Support Ukraine initiative. The British-Ukrainian initiative is focused on delivering much-needed aid to Ukrainian people. The funds donated by William Hill will be used to provide food, toys and humanitarian aid to displaced Ukrainians in the UK, as well as support for their families abroad.
The Support Ukraine Coordination Hub has already assisted in providing hundreds of meals to the growing number of Ukrainians seeking refuge in London. It has also delivered aid to families that have chosen to remain in or have been unable to leave Ukraine. Speaking on behalf of Support Ukraine, Natalia Ravlyuk said:
“The money will help provide necessities to those effected on or near to the front line and de-occupied territories, including medical aid such as medicine and much needed medical evacuation vehicles.”
Ravlyuk expressed the initiative’s gratitude for the generous donation, stating that they were ‘deeply touched’. She also gave thanks to the support that British people have shown for Ukrainians, as well as the UK’s offer to host Eurovision on Ukraine’s behalf. Last year’s competition was won by Kalush Orchestra, whose song ‘Stefania’ earned the most televoting points in the contest’s history.
The 2023 competition took place in Liverpool, due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Support was shown for Ukraine on the night, including an opening performance from Kalush Orchestra, a clip of the Princess of Wales playing piano to ‘Stefania’ and a rendition of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ from the Netherlands’ Duncan Laurence.
Eurovision Betting Market Grows
Moments before Ukraine’s entry Tvorchi took to the stage, their home town of Ternopil was hit by Russian missiles. There were no fatalities, but two people were injured. Their entry, ‘Heart of Steel’ drew the biggest cheers of the night, finishing in sixth place. After their performance, the band stated:
“Ternopil is the name of our hometown, which was bombed by Russia while we sang on the Eurovision stage about our steel hearts, indomitability and will. This is a message for all cities of Ukraine that are shelled every day. Kharkiv, Dnipro, Khmelnytsky, Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Uman, Sumy, Poltava, Vinnytsia, Odesa, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, Kherson and all others. Europe, unite against evil for the sake of peace!”
Lee Phelps, a spokesperson for William Hill, explained that profits from all bets on the Eurovision market during the weekend leading up to the finale would be gifted to Support Ukraine. This is regardless of whether customer bet slips are successful or not. Phelps continued, stating that the continued need to support Ukrainians, both in their home country and in the UK, must not be forgotten. Phelps added:
“It has been over a year since millions of Ukrainians had their worlds turned upside down, and on the weekend of a Eurovision that should be being held in Kyiv, it is a stark reminder that the fight is ever-present – but so too are the relief efforts, and the resilience shown by a nation with a heart of steel.”
In a year like no other for the competition, there was heightened interest in Eurovision. Ahead of the final, betting and gaming operator Entain said that its figures illustrated a 23% increase in bets on the contest this year. 17% of Entain’s bets were placed on Mae Muller’s entry. However, it was Sweden that showed the most support for its own entry. 43% of Swedish fans bet on Loreen to repeat her 2012 victory.
