Regulation makes Roy Keane a better bet than The Special One
Roy Keane ©INPHO/Donall Farmer
A MAJOR development on how Irish betting companies advertise in the UK is set to see former players and current pundits escape a crackdown on gambling ads.
Irish-owned firms like Paddy Power, Sky Bet and Betfair – all part of the Flutter stable – have been advised that the likes of Roy Keane and Peter Crouch do not pose a risk or influence over children and other vulnerable audiences.
However current managers, including Jose Mourinho, have been categorised ‘high risk’ and are set to be banned, in advice delivered to British and Irish firms by the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP).
CAP’s interpretation of recently issued rules under the UK Code of Broadcast Advertising, are set to save firms here millions of euro in marketing and production costs, after the reprieve to what was originally believed to be a blanket ban of all personality-driven campaigns.
The laws - which will be enacted before the World Cup, later this year – have forced a review of all advertising inventory by Dublin-based Flutter and its betting brands.
While still accessing the CAP advice, Flutter won’t comment, but many within the Irish betting industry will be surprised with how some stars are viewed safer than others when it comes to advertising gambling.
According to the new guidance, certain types of personalities have been designated different risk categorisations, depending on their current professional status - under ‘high’, ‘moderate’ and ‘low‘ risk assessments.
Among those deemed ‘low risk’ to feature in adverts are “long-retired footballers now known for punditry/commentary” which would exclude the likes of Roy Keane, Peter Crouch and Michael Owen from any future ban.
In the ‘high risk’ category, current players and managers, social media influencers, television presenters and film stars are to be avoided – which would mark an end to ads featuring Jose Mourinho, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ray Winstone.
While no players or managers are named in the CAP report, it does say the rules will only have a negative impact on those who appear in “content of ‘particular’ appeal to under- 18s”.
As well as all ‘top footballers and managers’ it has named characters which may be deemed “child-oriented cartoon content or animated styles (like) cuddly or cute animals princesses or pirates”.
Curiously, these include “common fairy tales, like Little Red Ridinghood and Hansel and Gretel” and “cultural characters like the Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny” which are all deemed as “high risk types of content that should be avoided”.
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), which represents the UK gambling industry – and the numerous Irish-owned firms which operate there – told The Pitch it accepted that the new measures were necessary to insure safer gambling.
“We welcome measures to prevent the use of imagery that could appeal to young people,” a BGC spokesperson said.
“The regulated betting and gaming industry is determined to promote safer gambling, unlike the unsafe and growing online black market, which has none of the safeguards which are commonplace among BGC members.”
The rules will impact what ad content which is seen here, and they may be mirrored in Ireland under Gambling Regulation which is expected to follow some of the more successful UK measures, once the bill is passed through the houses of the Oireachtas next year.
DOES the public really care about hosting major sporting events? Well, we’re about to find out.
Certainly the Department of Sport doesn’t really know – outside of so-called mega events like Euro 2028 - and to correct this, it’s embarking on a public consultation on the Hosting of Major International Sports Events.
The study will form the Government’s future policy on what events the state should bid for, and will clear up some of the issues left behind by the doomed America’s Cup process.
The key reasons why the Cork 2024 international sailing event was never a runner was due to public and political disinterest, nationally – and very little proof that the event would not become a huge loss-maker.
Strategically, organisers made a number of considerable errors, most fatally not getting full Government support initially, the most vital stakeholder for any successful bidding process.
For any major sporting event to work it must be led and owned by Government and then the national sports federation involved in that particular sport, along with local stakeholders - including councils and venues.
Outside of rugby or football, Government is often unsure or split when it comes to the more niche events.
Now, in order to determine what events are deemed worthy, the Department of Sport has produced a survey “to seek views and understand people’s attitudes towards major international” competitions.
The initiative is a strategic move by the Department of Sport, under the charge of Minister of State for Sport, Jack Chambers, who found himself and his senior minister Catherine Martin caught in the middle of various interest groups pulling for and pushing against the America’s Cup.
The main objectives of the public consultation are to seek out the views of the public and their attitudes towards major events which will then form the development of a policy to form a reliable strategy.
A 15-minute survey focuses on five specific questions including ‘what’s your definition of a major international sports event’, the benefits from hosting, and what return of investment should there be for Ireland.
Jack Chambers said the process reinforces the importance that hosting major events has in driving participation, as well as contributions to trade, tourism and economic growth.
“It is the Government’s intention to bring a more strategic approach to the bidding for major events, to maximise the benefits and to work towards making Ireland a destination for Major International Sports Events,” said Chambers.
To take part in the survey visit www.gov.ie/majorsportsevents before May 26, 2022.
MORE sports fans will attend the Punchestown Festival next week than any other sporting event in almost three years – with the exception of The Open at Royal Portrush in July of 2019.
This year’s five-day racing extravaganza is the first since 2019 where full crowds will return to the home of racing – with up to 150,000 fans expected – 237,000 attended the Open to watch Shane Lowry win his first Major.
The Pitch today takes a look behind some of the numbers behind an event organisers have dubbed – The Great Comeback.
• €64m – the direct economic value of the Festival based on independent research by the economics department of NUI Maynooth
• €25.3m – the social spend by racegoers away from the racecourse, in surrounding pubs, restaurants and hotels
• €7m – money spent by female racegoers on attire for the festival – with an average of €196 spent by each woman
• 45,000 burgers and 38,000 portions of chips will be consumed by the public
• 20,400 – the amount of overseas visitors expected to attend
• 20,000 – the number of corporate clients that will be wined and dined in Punchestown’s hospitality suites and enclosures
• 7,500 of Irish beef fillet steaks served to VIPs
• 6,000 bottles of wine and 3,210 bottles of champagne served
• 2,000 racks of Grass Fed Irish Lamb
• 12 – the amount of Grade One races throughout the week
• 83% - ticket sales increases on the same time during the last ‘normal’ festival in 2019
• 765 – companies which purchased hospitality at Punchestown during last full capacity meeting
GOLF sensation Leona Maguire has become the second big star to form a partnership with The K Club, in recent weeks.
The World Number 19 joins Seamus Power as a touring professional for the former Ryder Cup and European Open course, for the next two seasons.
Just like Power, Leona will carry the County Kildare resort’s logo on her bag – and will use the country club’s facilities when in Ireland.
The announcement comes during a meteoric rise for Maguire following her lowest round in a Major championship and the most points won by a rookie in the Solheim Cup, as well as being the first Irish player ever to be selected for the European team.
She then followed it up by becoming the first Irish player to win on the LPGA Tour, winning the Drive On Championship in February, 2022.
