Paddy Power Needs More Than Censoring

The Irish bookmaker, Paddy Power, has made gambling news by becoming the most recent gambling operator to be hunted and censored by the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). Paddy Power has stated that it was absolutely not their intention to be misleading customers but the ASA has told the operator to pull their TV and radio adverts off the air.

A series of complaints were made against the Paddy Power TV advert claiming it was misleading. Why? It was all down to the fine print and it contradiction to the offer advertised. Similar complaints are also swirling around the radio adverts. The advertising campaigns revolved around bets on the Champion League final match between Manchester United and Barcelona. Paddy Power had offered to refund player losing bets if Barcelona won in normal time with a maximum refund of £100.

Paddy Power reaffirms that it was not their intention to mislead customers. They also claim that the fine print simply clarified the advertisement. They agreed to refund some and certainly not all losses. Paddy Power has also argued that adverts were broadcasted on sports related television and radio stations where the average viewer / listener would be familiar with the basic terms and conditions associated with such offers. In other words, if you’re a bettor you should know better? I don’t think so.

The ASA supported the complaints related to both the television and the radio adverts. There will always be gaming companies that will walk a fine line with their fine print and the ASA will have to continue to investigate claims against advertising campaigns. The ASA review is a process and by the time it is finalized the offers advertised by online casinos or sportsbooks have run their course. It would seem that the operators also get extra exposure as a result.

Do you think that some stiffer punishment should be in place as a means of prevention? Maybe if there were bans or significant fines, operators would be a bit more reluctant to mislead us.