iGaming Business – The Advertising Standards Authority Ireland (ASAI) has ruled that an advert campaign by Irish bookmaker Paddy Power featuring Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius was “offensive” after it breached several rules. The campaign referred to the outcome of a trial in which Pistorius is accused of murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, in February 2013. The advert offered the opportunity to bet on the outcome of the trial and stated punters that placed a bet could access a special money-back offer. The advert stated: “IT’S OSCAR TIME. MONEY BACK IF HE WALKS. WE WILL REFUND ALL LOSING BETS ON THE…

Gambling 911 – The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned Irish online bookmaker from ever promoting bets on the Oscar Pistorious trial.Some 65 complaints were considered after the controversial betting firm began taking wagers on the outcome of the paraplegic runner Pistorius’ murder trial.  The South African fatally shot his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp but claims he did so by accident out of fear an intruder had entered through a bathroom window. The company made matters worse by featuring Pistorius as an Oscar statuette during the Academy Awards with a caption that read: “money back if he walks”. The ASA…

iGaming Business – Irish bookmaker Paddy Power has agreed a two-year deal to continue using Callcredit Information Group’s CallValididate software to identify customers of its online betting service. The solution enables Paddy Power to check a customer’s name, address and date of birth details, as well as allowing it to conduct a real-time check against bank providers’ records. Callcredit said the software not only helps confirm if a person’s identity exists but also that the bank account being used for payment is also linked to the correct name and address, therefore helping to identify potential fraudulent activity. Andy Ryan, customer…

iGaming Business – Gaming content supplier Realistic Games has linked up with Paddy Power to launch embedded blackjack and roulette games into the Irish bookmaker’s new sportsbook iPad application. In what the companies claim is an “industry first”, the products allow users of the application to switch between their betting slip and tables games without having to transfer money or exit the sportsbook. The new Paddy Power application can be downloaded to the iPad from the Apple App Store. Andy Harris, commercial director of Realistic Games, said: “We’ve felt for a while that embedding games in iPad sportsbooks, and blackjack…

iGaming Business – The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has concluded that an advert campaign by Irish bookmaker Paddy Power featuring Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius breached rules and brought advertising into disrepute. The campaign referred to the outcome of a trial in which Pistorius is accused of murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, in February 2013. ASA said the advert drew a record 5,525 complaints, as reported by iGaming business. The advert offered people the chance to bet on the outcome of the trial, with the advert featuring an offer for those that place a bet. The advert appeared in the…

Gaming Intelligence – Paddy Power is preparing to roll out a revamped version of its real-money sportsbook offering on Facebook, with a new version of the product set to go live in April. The Paddy Power In-Play! app first launched in August last year, making it the first sports betting app to go live on the social network. However, the operator’s managing director for online Peter O’Donovan explained that uptake of the product has been “limited” so far. “It was the first of its kind, and we continue to refine the overall product proposition to make sure it resonates with…