Online casino and poker room operator BetterBet has cancelled an advertising campaign featuring former England soccer star Paul Merson only days after it signed the current Sky television pundit.
The former Arsenal and Aston Villa player was announced at the end of March as the new face of a BetterBet advertising campaign despite his very public past battles with additions to alcohol, drugs and gambling.
At the time, BetterBet revealed that Merson had worked with it over the past year and would feature on posters in addition to opening its new land-based betting shops. The former player, who stated in 2003 that he had kicked his addictions to drink and drugs but was still haunted by gambling, revealed that he had been approached while at a social event about taking on the role.
“Paul is very popular with customers,” said a spokesperson for BetterBet on March 25.
“He is better known these days as a Sky pundit and former footballer. We have used him to meet customers and sign autographs and he has been on posters. We haven’t had any negative comments about what he has done previously.’
However, Ian Hogg, Managing Director for BetterBet, told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Richard Bacon Show two days later that the campaign had been ended after the firm received ‘lots’ of complaints.
‘We’ve obviously caused some offence to people and we are pulling the campaign,” Hogg told the radio programme.
‘We have no wish to cause any offence or inflame gambling as an issue.
“We like Paul a lot. I wouldn’t want it to be seen in any way that we didn’t want to work with Paul.’
Hogg revealed that it was possible that BetterBet would work with Merson in the future on publicising an ‘anti-problem-gambling message’.
Abstract from www.igamingbusiness.com
