The Winter Olympics will make a triumphant return to Beijing throughout February 2022, and there is perhaps no truer test of the best bookmakers than this massive, multifaceted event. As such, we have prepared not just a tailor-made guide on all the key things you will want to know when it comes to Olympics 2021 betting, but also the finest places to do so.

  • Astounding Olympics market variety
  • Great general promotions
  • World class live streaming service
MAIN FEATURES
UK Gambling Commission
Live Stream
VIP Programme
Cash Out
Bet Builder
Support 24/7
Native App
Cryptocurrency
Established in 2000
MAIN FEATURES
UK Gambling Commission
Live Stream
VIP Programme
Cash Out
Bet Builder
Support 24/7
Native App
Cryptocurrency
Established in 2000
18+. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. BeGambleAware.org #ad
  • Wonderful for general and specific medals markets
  • Trusted all over the world
  • Perfect for newcomers and experts alike
MAIN FEATURES
UK Gambling Commission
Live Stream
VIP Programme
Cash Out
Bet Builder
Support 24/7
Native App
Cryptocurrency
Established in 1902
MAIN FEATURES
UK Gambling Commission
Live Stream
VIP Programme
Cash Out
Bet Builder
Support 24/7
Native App
Cryptocurrency
Established in 1902
18+ New UK+IRE Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first 5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 4x 5 free bets. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. No cashout, restrictions + Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. BeGambleAware.org #ad
  • Plenty of unique Olympics markets
  • Great value bonuses
  • Often has general medals markets well in advance
MAIN FEATURES
UK Gambling Commission
Live Stream
VIP Programme
Cash Out
Bet Builder
Support 24/7
Native App
Cryptocurrency
Established in 1934
MAIN FEATURES
UK Gambling Commission
Live Stream
VIP Programme
Cash Out
Bet Builder
Support 24/7
Native App
Cryptocurrency
Established in 1934
18+. New customers using Promo code R30 only. Min £10 stake, min odds ½, free bets paid as 3x £10, free bets credited after settlement of first qualifying bet, free bets will expire 30 days after the qualifying bet is placed, payment methods/player/country restrictions apply. Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. BeGambleAware.org #ad
  • Provides amazing live coverage
  • Even includes their own commentary
  • One of the best user experiences during the Olympics
MAIN FEATURES
UK Gambling Commission
Live Stream
VIP Programme
Cash Out
Bet Builder
Support 24/7
Native App
Cryptocurrency
Established in 2011
MAIN FEATURES
UK Gambling Commission
Live Stream
VIP Programme
Cash Out
Bet Builder
Support 24/7
Native App
Cryptocurrency
Established in 2011
18+ New customers only. Register (excl. 13/04/24) with WELCOME50. First bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get Free Bets: £20 In-Play, £20 Acca & 50 x £0.20 (£10) Free Spins on Fishin’ Frenzy within 10 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility & payment exclusions apply. Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. BeGambleAware.org #ad
  • Great all rounder if you want more than just the Olympics
  • Consistently competitive Olympic odds
  • Truly international appeal reflected in betting options
MAIN FEATURES
UK Gambling Commission
Live Stream
VIP Programme
Cash Out
Bet Builder
Support 24/7
Native App
Cryptocurrency
Established in 1997
MAIN FEATURES
UK Gambling Commission
Live Stream
VIP Programme
Cash Out
Bet Builder
Support 24/7
Native App
Cryptocurrency
Established in 1997
18+ New UK players only | Min deposit req. £10 | Certain deposit methods excluded | Place 1 sport bet (3+ selections) | Excl Horse Racing | Min stake £10 | Max stake £20 | Min Odds 2/1 (3.0) | Max FreeBet £20 for football only | FreeBet valid for 7 days | FreeBet stake not returned | Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. BeGambleAware.org #ad

The Olympics are the biggest amateur sporting event in the world. In fact, with hundreds of events, several dozen sports and hundreds of countries competing every two years either at the Summer or Winter Olympics games, nothing else comes close.
There’s a different host for every Olympics held, which is such a cultural and economic milestone that countries bid to be the chosen nation every two years by the Olympic international commission. The cost of hosting this event is well in the billions, the Rio de Janeiro Games, for instance, cost $13.7 billion estimated.

Since the times of ancient Greece, the Olympics have staggered the world not just as a showcase of athletics, but also as a spectacle of a size and scale that would likely be incomprehensible were it not to already exist.

And that scale makes it an unmatched event to bet on. Or should we say events, because not only is there the Summer and Winter Olympics to consider, but quite literally thousands of markets to choose from, broadly available across the world’s greatest bookmakers. This is the case whether you’re looking forward to betting on the upcoming Winter Olympics 2022, or any other future instalment of the games. There will never be a lack of betting markets, nor places to enjoy them, so long as that Olympic fire continues to burn.

Winter Olympics 2022 Betting

  • List Icon

    Due to the Summer Olympics being postponed to 2021 it feels like we have barely been able to catch our breath before another instalment of this amazing international sporting spectacle is upon us.

  • List Icon

    Plus, if those Summer Olympics taught us one thing is that the spirit of these games cannot be vanquished, even in the face of a pandemic unprecedented in living memory. While the Covid Pandemic will still be felt in 2022, we hope to a less dramatic extent than saw get the Summer Olympics postponed from 2020.

  • List Icon

    As far as all our research suggests, although there remains concern over the Omicron variant, the Winter Olympics 2022 will likely go ahead as planned. There will of course be more precautions taken, it is believed that the rules will be even stricter than what we saw in Japan last year. According to reports, this will largely revolve around keeping the media, athletes, and observers completely separately in what they call ‘bubbles' which requires full vaccination or 21 days in quarantine to enter. Testing is daily, and masks are mandatory. And that’s just an overview of the steps taken, with whole cities being put in lockdown in the weeks leading up to the competition.

  • List Icon

    For all these reasons, we are afraid to say that there are some ways in which the Winter Olympics 2022 will be historic for rather bleak reasons. However, they are far from the only reasons.

  • List Icon

    All these precautions are taken in order for a truly amazing event to take place. We will see the greatest winter sport athletes from across the world take place in a huge variety of disciplines.

  • List Icon

    In fact, there’s three whole zones’ (Beijing zone, Yanqing zone and Zhangjiakou zone) provided not just in keeping people safe but in providing the greatest variety of events in most spectacular possible venues. The games, it would seem, will go ahead. Betting odds Olympics will be set, markets will be available, sporting dreams realised, history made. And ultimately, although no one could say these games are taking place in the most ideal of circumstances, it is a testament to the fortitude and resilience of the great athletes across the world that the Olympics in such circumstances is possible.

So, Why Bet On The Olympics?

The answer of why to get involved in Olympics games betting is simple. To make that greatest of sporting spectaculars even more interesting. To help you get invested in new games, in athletes you may not have heard of before and to provide a thread of interest in as many corners of this mammoth month-long event as possible. Plus, there could not be a more ultimate test of your betting abilities, much like this is the ultimate test for the athletes. Let us put it this way, if you are interested in betting on any sport, ever, then you should be interested in betting on the Olympics.

Here are some key dates of important upcoming Olympics events, based on the games currently announced. Do note that all these dates are subject to change.

2nd February 2022

First games commence with curling mixed doubles round robin, before the official launch of the Winter Olympics.

4th February 2022

The Winter Olympics in Beijing officially begins with Curling, Figure Skating and Ice-Skating events.

5th February 2022

Biathlon, Cross-Country Skiing, Curling, Ice Hockey, Luge, Snowboard, Ski Jumping, Speed Skating and Short Track Speed Skating.

6th February 2022

Alpine Skiing, Cross-Country Skiing, Curling, Freestyle Skiing, Figure Skating, Ice Hockey, Luge, Snowboard, Ski Jumping and Speed Skating.

7th February 2022

Alpine Skiing, Biathlon, Curling, Freestyle Skiing, Figure Skating, Ice Hockey, Luge, Snowboard, Ski Jumping, Speed Skating and Short Track Speed Skating.

8th February 2022

Alpine Skiing, Biathlon, Cross-Country Skiing, Curling, Freestyle Skiing, Figure Skating, Ice Hockey, Snowboard, Speed Skating.

9th February 2022

Alpine Skiing, Curling, Freestyle Skiing, Ice Hockey, Nordic Combined, Snowboard, Short Track Speed Skating.

10th February 2022

Alpine Skiing, Cross-Country Skiing, Curling, Freestyle Skiing, Figure Skating, Ice Hockey, Luge, Snowboard, Skeleton, Speed Skating

11th February 2022

Alpine Skiing, Biathlon, Cross-Country Skiing, Curling, Ice Hockey, Snowboard, Ski Jumping, Skeleton, Speed Skating, Short Track Speed Skating.

12th February 2022

Biathlon, Cross-Country Skiing, Curling, Figure Skating, Ice Hockey, Snowboard, Ski Jumping, Skeleton, Speed Skating.

13th February 2022

Alpine Skiing, Bobsleigh, Biathlon, Cross Country Skiing, Curling, Freestyle Skiing, Ice Hockey, Speed Skating, Short Track Speed Skating.

14th February 2022

Bobsleigh, Curling, Figure Skating, Ice Hockey, Snowboard, Ski Jumping.

15th February 2022

Alpine Skiing, Bobsleigh, Biathlon, Curling, Freestyle Skiing, Figure Skating, Ice Hockey, Nordic Combined, Snowboard, Speed Skating.

16th February 2022

Alpine Skiing, Biathlon, Cross-Country Skiing, Curling, Freestyle Skiing, Ice Hockey, Short Track Speed Skating

17th February 2022

Alpine Skiing, Curling, Freestyle Skiing, Figure Skating, Ice Hockey, Nordic Combined, Speed Skating

18th February 2022

Bobsleigh, Biathlon, Curling, Freestyle Skiing, Figure Skating, Ice Hockey, Speed Skating.

19th February 2022

Alpine Skiing, Bobsleigh, Biathlon, Cross-Country Skiing, Curling, Freestyle Skiing, Figure Skating, Ice Hockey, Speed Skating.

20th February 2022

Final day of Winter Olympics, events are as follows – Bobsleigh, Cross-Country Skiing, Curling, Figure Skating, Ice Hockey

Summer Olympics Key Dates

  • List Icon

    26th July 2024: Summer Olympics 2024 in Paris, France begins

  • List Icon

    11th August 2024: Summer Olympics 2024 closes.

  • List Icon

    6th February 2026 – Winter Olympics 2026 in Milan, Italy begins.

  • List Icon

    22nd February 2026: Winter Olympics 2026 closes. This is the final winter Olympics with dates announced at the time of writing.

  • List Icon

    July 21st 2028: Summer Olympics 2028 in Los Angeles, USA begins.

  • List Icon

    August 6th 2028: Summer Olympics 2028 closes.

  • List Icon

    23rd July 2032: Summer Olympics 2032 in Queensland, Australia begins.

  • List Icon

    8th August 2032: Summer Olympics 2032 closes.

So long as you’ve got the right bookmaker, you can engage in Olympics 2021 betting on any sport that you can think of, so long as it’s available.

Generally, you would be betting on who you think would win in any particular event, or at the very least, who would win either the bronze, silver or gold medals. There are some alternative examples, betting sites are free to make whatever kind of markets they think will be of interest. It could be a prop bet on whether a player will make that penalty, or whether a world record will be broken. There are also some general medals betting which we are going to discuss in the follow-up section.

Put simply, the number of events across both the Winter and the Summer Olympics is staggering.

Really, the best way of figuring out your favourites and the betting odds Olympics options which work best for you is to watch as much as possible. However, with so much available, it can be hard to know where to begin. That’s why we have chosen 10 events, 5 from the Winter Olympics and 5 from the Summer Olympics, to provide a jumping off point for newcomers, or to perhaps broaden the interests of more experienced Olympic viewers.

Make no mistake, while the Winter Olympics is traditionally not as large as its summer equivalent it is still home to some massively popular sporting events, perfect for trying out our Olympics betting tips and full to the brim with betting opportunities.

  • List Icon

    Bobsleigh Hypothetically, if this sport didn’t exist and you were to suggest Bobsleigh to us as an idea for a competition, we would probably think you’d lost your mind. And yet, four people rocketing down a track made up seemingly entirely of terrifyingly icy turns while defying gravity on a tiny sled is very much a thing and is as thrilling as you might expect. It’s also an incredibly intricate and skilful sport, one which has created many of the greatest memories in Winter Olympic history. It is arguably the most iconic sport in the history of these games.

  • List Icon

    Freestyle Skiing Is it just us or is there something incredibly wild about the most popular Winter Olympics sports? Actually, this is several rather awe-inspiring events all at once, including cross, half-pipe, moguls, slopestyle and big air all part of this Olympic event. While of course there is an enormous amount of world class athletics here, there’s also a level of creativity, a freedom in seeing these amazing competitors pull off the most spectacular tricks, turns and manoeuvres they can. If anyone ever says that they find the Olympics a little too disciplined, a little too by the number for their liking, show them this and that debate is as good as over.

  • List Icon

    Ski Jumping It’s a death defying, dangerous sport perfect for the Winter Olympics, because only the absolute best should ever dare try it. Skiers fly through the sky from a distance of over 100 metres with the style and aerial grace being balanced with their landing for a final score. This is a traditional Nordic skiing discipline which to this day feels utterly futuristic. Adrenaline pumping, pulse racing stuff, as exciting as any of the betting odds Olympics markets.

  • List Icon

    Figure Skating From the sensational to the sublime now with Figure Skating. The grace and poise showcased here is amazing on the surface level, but when you consider they are doing all this on a boot and a blade, upon a sheet of ice, you may start to appreciate the incredible artistry on discipline on an Olympic event that is truly like no other.

  • List Icon

    Curling The variety of events available at the Winter Olympics is not merely in terms of sheer numbers. It’s also through the depth of that selection. Compare Curling to anything else on this list, it’s not an elegant dance on ice or a series of death-defying electrifying jumps or stunts. It’s certainly nothing like Bobsleigh. This is a sport all about quiet precision. Players slide stones upon a sheet of ice while their teammates use special brooms, yes, you heard that right, to manipulate and perfect its path in the aim perfectly hitting the target at the end of the sheet. Weird, spellbinding perfection.

The Summer Olympics are the best known of the Olympic games and considering the amazing line up of huge events they have at their disposal that shouldn’t be too much of a surprise. Owing to the popularity of these events they are also a great place to get some of the finest betting odds Olympics markets have to offer.

  • List Icon

    Swimming Always a hugely popular event, swimming is also a straightforward and popular betting option. Racing is always a great kind of sport for betting, from ancient Greece to Olympics 2021 betting, because in essence all you need to do is say who will reach the finish line first. Of course, that is easier said than done, especially considering the wide variety of strokes and distances to consider. Events include freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, open water and more. Distances range from 50 metres to 10 kilometres.

  • List Icon

    Soccer We are calling it soccer here as that is what it is referred to on the international stage, as much as that may devastate our readers from the United Kingdom. Everything else from an Olympics games betting standpoint is pretty much the same as you would expect from Premier League betting with medals instead of championships. There is even a great deal of crossover between the best football betting sites and the finest sites to find betting odds Olympics markets.

  • List Icon

    Track Arguably the most famous sport at the Olympics, certainly one of the most iconic, Track events has seen the birth of some of its most famous stars including Mo Farrah and Usain Bolt. Unsurprisingly then, it is also one of the biggest sports to bet on as well. Once again this is a race so the markets should be simple and familiar, and this is one where records are frequently broken so you may be able to find some decent betting odds Olympics in that regard too. Events go from 100 metres to 10,000 metres, alongside steeplechase, hurdles, and relay events.

  • List Icon

    Tennis Many of the games at the Olympics feature athletes you have never heard of. Indeed, for many people, that is part of their appeal and intrigue. Tennis betting benefits from a mixture of up and comers and blockbuster headliners, those who could fill up sports arenas all on their own. Think Nadel, Williams, Murray, all those global superstars. The kind you would see at Wimbledon or the French Open. This has an added Olympics betting benefit as well as you should already have an idea of many of the medal contenders and this gives you a base of knowledge upon which you can make predictions. It is a market that benefits casual bettors and sporting experts, easy to approach, but with a great deal of strategic depth.

  • List Icon

    Weightlifting Another great option for those looking for markets where world records are commonly broken is weightlifting. It is also a tantalisingly exciting sport to watch and a fascinating on to bet on, as any fans of betting on the World’s Strongest Man competition can tell you. Like racing, what you are betting on is conceptually incredibly simple. You are backing who can lift the heaviest weight. There is also often prop bets on whether an athlete will be able to maintain a hold or whether the weight will drop. Arguably the most psychological sport in the Olympics, weightlifting is as much about willpower and mental fortitude as it is about the form and skill of the athletes. It also makes it one of the most fascinating Olympics 2021 betting propositions.

Other Medals Betting

Much of what we have already discussed here are medals Olympics betting in one way or another. If you are betting who will win a race, for instance, you are also betting on who will win that medal.

However, there are also special medals Olympics games betting markets. You could bet on who will win the most gold medals, for instance, which is an extremely popular market. Or most medals generally, including both bronze and silver options for Olympic games betting.

Other examples include whether a nation will win over or under a certain amount, or whether one nation will be more successful in the medals table than another. In the case of nations that generally do not perform especially well, it could be whether any medals are won at all across all events. There’s plenty of scope here for people who want to enjoy Olympics games betting more generally, as opposed to on specific events. This is important because Olympics betting should be about enhancing your enjoyment of sporting events and this variety allows you to do exactly that, regardless of how you like to bet.

bet365 Bet £10 Get £50


Because of the scope and popularity of the Olympics, the promotional opportunities are huge here too.There is the majority of sports you could imagine showcased here and that also means the majority of promotions also apply to Olympics games 2021 betting. The only key exception we can think of would be those found on traditional horse racing betting markets, such as best odds guaranteed.

Everything else though is very possible. You could utilise a free bets no deposit bonus to get started, for instance. Or you could get enhanced odds boosts on your favourite events. There could be Acca insurance for those of you who want to spread your bets around the many events the Olympics has to offer. This all depends on the individual bookmaker, really it is up to their generosity and imagination as to what is specifically available. But considering that they have every incentive in the world to be generous here, operators tend to give more away when there’s plenty of competition, the sky is the limit. What promotions can be expected? Almost all of them.

So, now we have broken down what you can expect from betting on the Olympics, we’ve selected five of our favourite reasons for why you should bet on this grandest of sporting events.
[colouredboxesNumbered template=”yellow-background-numbered” list_text='The Olympic has an unbeatable variety of sports and betting markets. People betting from all around the world can get involved.;Bookmakers are incredibly competitive when it comes to those markets, meaning you can often find great odds comparisons and generous promotions. ;Betting can help you foster extra interest in events where you may not otherwise have a natural option to support. ;The special medal markets means you can bet generally across all events and just sit back and enjoy the show;Because many of the athletes are lesser-known, there are often upsets meaning plenty of great betting odds Olympics opportunities.']

Screenshot Of Winter Olympics Games Markets Page


With so much to bet on, and so many places to bet from, you may feel yourself a bit overwhelmed by the sheer abundance of Olympics 2021 betting choice and coming up with any kind of strategy may seem out of reach. That’s where our Olympic games betting tips come in.
Ultimately the Olympics is a collection of sports and like any other sporting event, it can be tackled through solid logic and careful consideration. Much of what makes up Olympics betting strategy would of course depend on the individual event but considering that there are many different sports and quite literally hundreds of events all deserving of their own Olympics betting tips, we are going to be focusing on general advice you can utilise instead for Olympics games betting.

  1. 1.

    Spread your Olympics betting wings: Our first suggestion for Olympic games betting tips is quite simple. Do not shy away from everything the Olympics has to offer, embrace it. Aside from being the grandest amateur sporting showcase of the world, it is also the ideal place for you to find new favourites and we would not want to take that away from you by telling you to stick with what you know. Remember too that if you plain do not think you know enough about a sport to make an informed guess, then a more general medals bet could be perfect for you.

  2. 2.

    Use accumulators to provide intrigue across multiple events: Big events like this are perfect for accumulator betting. This lets you create different threads of interest throughout a large variety of events, generally helping you get more invested in the Olympics as a whole. If the main point, beyond your returns, of any Olympics betting is to improve your enjoyment of sports then an accumulator here could be perfect. Plus, the high Olympics games betting stakes mean you barely have to bet anything to get involved. Those betting odds Olympics opportunities can get huge with the right accumulator. It can also allow you to provide extra intrigue in events where the result seems very likely to go one way, similar to Asian handicap betting.

  3. 3.

    Still research what you can, avoid betting on what you cannot research: Many of these sports, and the athletes in them, are lesser known than their more mainstream professional counterparts. This means that the usual research needed to make smart Olympics betting choices can be tougher. But it very much depends on the event. So, find what you can, and if you cannot find enough useful info to where you feel confident in making a bet then you can move onto something else more tangible. There is enough here to mean that should not stop you from spreading your Olympics betting wings.

  4. 4.

    Utilise promotions: We have talked about promotions and how prominent they can be for Olympics betting. With that in mind, our advice is remarkably simple, wherever they can add value, and you should always read the betting terms and conditions to ensure that they do, use them. And make sure you check out the bonus pages to ensure there is nothing you are missing out on before finalising your Olympics betting choices. That competitive field of bookies can also drive up your standard betting odds Olympics too.

  5. 5.

    Do not just back your home country: We understand that a huge international event like the Olympics tends to create a kind of patriotic pride that does not always lend itself to the wisest betting decisions. Let us be blunt with our Olympic games betting tips. Your home country is not going to win all of the medals. With that in mind your options are to back other countries where it is wise or if you insist on not going against your home nation, only backing those events where doing so seems likely to go in your direction.

The Olympics has its origins in ancient Greece believing to have begun around 3000 years ago. Even back then, the games took place every four years. This was of course not as international an affair as we expect today – tricky to get a plane back then – and featured the finest Greek athletes in Olympia. It fell with ancient Rome only to be revived in 1896 in Athens, which is the origin of our modern understanding of the Olympics. Even then, it already featured 13 nations and 43 events. It has taken place every four years since then, with two exceptions, both cancellations due to world wars.

Alongside classic events like wrestling, boxing, and javelin, they also added a wide number of races including a marathon and 400 metres. An international expansion took place in Paris 1924, where the number of nations jumped up to 44, making this a truly global event. It was also the origin of the Winter Olympics and saw the first bobsledding, figure skating and ice hockey events alongside many other winter favourites.

Speaking of the summer and winter Olympic games, they were officially separated in 1994, alternating every two years since. This is just a brief overview of key points, of course, many books have been written about the history of the Olympics and every single iteration is a piece of history.

Consider, for instance, the return of the summer Olympic to Athens in 2004, or, for our British readers, the spectacular games held in London 2012.Perhaps the most pressing modern example would be the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, these games were rescheduled to 2021, the first odd numbered Olympics since 1900. Covid will still have an impact on the 2022 Winter Olympics, but it is not believed that it will lead to a postponement of the games. But, as of yet, that history has not been written.

Key Olympic Historical Dates

  • List Icon

    8th century B.C (Rough Estimate) – First Olympic games held in ancient Greece

  • List Icon

    Mid-2nd century B.C – Greece conquered by Rome, Olympics continue but in a much-declined state

  • List Icon

    1896 – First modern Olympics held in Athens to a crowd of 60,000.

  • List Icon

    1903 – The predecessor to the Winter Olympics, the Nordic Games, was first held in Sweden. They were also held in 1903, 1905 and after that every four years until 1926.

  • List Icon

    1916 – The first instance of a modern Olympics cancellation takes place due to the outbreak of World War 1.

  • List Icon

    1920 – Olympic flag we all recognise today is flown for the first time.

  • List Icon

    1924 – The VII games held in Paris opens the games up to 44 nations, also features the debut of the winter games. This was then known as “International Winter Sports Week”, and it featured 16 nations across 16 events, with a total of 250 athletes.

  • List Icon

    1928 – The second Winter Games was held in Switzerland, the first to be recognised as its own event at the time, and not in retrospect. Weather plagues the event, blizzarding the opening ceremony while unusually warm weather made other events impossible.

  • List Icon

    1932 – For the first time, the Winter Olympics is held outside of Europe, in New York, USA. It was so difficult to travel to at that time, only four sports took place.

  • List Icon

    1952 – St Moritz, Switzerland becomes the first location to host the Winter Olympics twice, this is owing to its weather and due to the relative lack of damage its facilities had suffered in World War 2 compared to the rest of Europe.

  • List Icon

    1960 – The Soviet Union made their Olympic debut in Rome, Italy at the Summer 1960 Olympics, winning most gold and overall medals. This is largely believed to be because their amateur athletes were in fact paid to train full time by the state.

  • List Icon

    1960 – The first televised games take place from Rome.

  • List Icon

    1968 – In the town of Grenoble, France, the 1968 Olympic games become the first to be held in colour.

  • List Icon

    1979 – Due to the invasion of Afghanistan, the Moscow games are boycotted by 66 nations.

  • List Icon

    2004 – Summer games again returns to Athens, this time welcoming 201 countries and 11,000 athletes.

  • List Icon

    2012 – London returns as the host of the Olympics, the first time since 1948. It is considered by many as one of the most significant cultural events of a generation.

  • List Icon

    2014 – Sochi, Russia set a new record for the scale of any Winter Olympics event, with 2,800 athletes across 88 countries competing in 98 events. It set the stage for the huge Winter Olympic events of today and is believed to have cost around £30 billion.

  • List Icon

    2021 – The Olympics in Tokyo, Japan is like no other, having been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic which has shut down the world, featuring no fans from foreign countries.

  • List Icon

    2022 – Beijing is set to become the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Olympics.

10 Fun Olympic Facts

  1. The medals haven’t been made entirely out of gold since 1912, the cheapskates!

  2. The Olympic rings signify five key regions, Africa, America, Europe, Oceania and Asia. The colours used, red, green, yellow, blue and black, are chosen as they feature on every known flag in the world.

  3. The USA has hosted the games four times, 1904 in St Louis, 1932 and 1984 in LA and 1996 in Atlanta, more than any other nation.

  4. In the 1928 Winter Olympics two separate hockey teams from the USA arrived, both seeming to believe they were the legitimate team of the United States

  5. France also took home a cricket silver medal in 1900, but only because they were one of only two teams competing, alongside Britain.

  6. The games in ancient Greece would see a temporary ceasefire of all ongoing wars to honour Zeus.

  7. Soccer was officially an event at the 1896 games, unfortunately, there were no teams to play it, leaving the result abandoned.

  8. The 1908 games held in London was the birthplace of the opening ceremony.

  9. Only five countries have been at every modern game, these are Britain, Greece, France, Switzerland and Austria.

  10. All athletes in the ancient Olympic games competed nude.

Some countries have been more successful than others. Here’s our top ten list based entirely on the medals table, we’re not counting things like most world records although they do follow similar patterns. This should give you a rough idea of the landscape for more general medals Olympics betting but do keep in mind that these figures span over a century so some past successes may not necessarily reflect the landscape as it is now. The winter and summer Olympic Games have also been separated because they have quite different results that are important to understand to best utilise your Olympic betting tips. 

Summer Olympics Ranked Medal Table

No.NationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1United States Of America10608317382629
2Soviet Union 3953192961010
3Great Britain285319314918
4China 262199173634
5France223251277751
6Italy217188213618
7Germany201207247655
8Hungary181154176511
9Japan164173210547
10East Germany153129127409

Winter Olympics Ranked Medal Table

No.Nation

GoldSilverBronzeTotal
1Norway132125111368
2United States Of America10511288305
3Germany928860240
4Soviet Union785759194
5Canada736462199
6Austria648187232
7Sweden574655158
8Switzerland564552153
9Russia473935121
10Netherlands454441130

Remember that while in one way the Olympics are one massive, colossal event, it is also very much the sum of its parts. Keeping this in mind should help you to bet without feeling overwhelmed. After all, you don’t feel pressure from other NFL games or when utilising the best NHL betting sites when making a bet on those markets, and you shouldn’t feel any sense of it here either. In fact, that Olympics betting variety should be embraced. This is the most comprehensive sporting event ever created, and that means that there should be a perfect sport and perfect betting market for you.

Based on our research, Bet365, Ladbrokes and William Hill provide the best Olympics betting platforms.

Every four years unless there are truly exceptional circumstances.

At the time of writing 205 across both the summer and winter Olympics.

Well, the first-ever was some time in ancient Greece, around 8th century B.C, the modern version of the games was first held in 1896.

Absolutely, the vast majority of mainstream betting sites will provide Olympic betting markets.

They most certainly are, both bonuses that are made specifically for the Olympics and more general examples are both commonly available.

WRITTEN BY Ben Gibson View all posts by Ben Gibson

Ben has been writing professionally for over a decade. His articles are a great outlet for his inexhaustible supply of sporting facts and enthusiasm. He resides in Yorkshire, where his work is powered by the ever-present sound of a kettle.

Further reading

ThePuntersPage.com © 2006-2024 ThePuntersPage.com