No Pistorius regrets, says Paddy Power
Operator says it would offer the same market again as ASA reveals Oscar Pistorius advert tops all-time complaint list
Paddy Power said it made the “right decision” when electing to take bets on the Oscar Pistorius murder trial and would “100% do it again” despite the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) revealing today it produced the most complained about ad of all time.
The Irish bookmaker came under fire last year after it opened a book on the trail of the Paralympian amputee and subsequently published an advert which offered punters their “money back if he walks”.
The ASA said the advert, which was published last February, attracted a record of 5,525 complaints last year – roughly three times more than the next highest offender.
The advertising watchdog ruled the advert made “light of a murder trial and the death of a woman” and demanded the operator removed it immediately.
Speaking to eGaming Review this morning, a spokesperson for Paddy Power said the advert had only been available for 24 hours and had “taken our slap on the wrist and have moved on” however added the firm would have no reservations about offering a similar market again in the future.
“We went into Pistorius with our eyes wide open and fully aware that it might stir controversy,” the spokesperson said.
“However, as the biggest news story on the planet and as the main topic of discussion around water coolers, we wouldn’t be true to ourselves had we not taken bets on it.
“In hindsight, the feeling is that it was the right decision and we would 100% do it again,” the spokesperson added.
The news comes after Paddy Power’s Australia-facing brand Sportsbet this week faced accusations of ‘transphobia’ after it offered a market on which name former US Olympic athlete Bruce Jenner would choose should he undergo a sex swap, as speculated in the press.
The operator was rebuked by the Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby and has since removed the market.
Last summer Paddy Power’s head of mischief Ken Robertson, the man behind the Pistorius campaign, was seconded Down Under to take up a strategic marketing role with Sportsbet until later this year.