Paddy Power voluntarily changes wording in ad

Paddy Power has voluntarily changed the wording used in a recent ad after referring to a £10 bonus as a “risk-free first bet”.

The bonus was connected to a campaign that ran in the Sun newspaper that offered new customers a “risk-free first bet” with “money back as cash if it loses”. The campaign was targeted at Sun readers in both the UK and Ireland.

The ASA looked into the ad following a complaint yet said it was an “informal case last week” and as a result was not investigated after Flutter Entertainment amended it.

The operator stated the ad received one complaint and was published before recent changes had been introduced by the ASA’s Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP). This guidance restricted “ads which state or imply that offers are a way to reduce risk” and allows a three-month window in order for companies to alter any creative, copy and external guidelines in order to comply.

No stranger to controversy, Paddy Power was last in hot water with the ASA following its 2019 rewards campaign featuring Rhodri Giggs, brother of former Manchester United player Ryan.

Speaking at the time, the ASA’s ruling stated: “The ad implied viewers should follow his [Rhodri’s] example, and their route to doing so was joining Paddy Power’s Rewards Club. For that reason, we considered the ad implied gambling was a way to achieve financial security and improved self-image.”