When Is Gambling Advertising Not Okay

Gambling advertising is apparently not okay when you play for the Danish national football team and you decide to flash the name of one of the world's premier land and online betting and gaming companies printed on your boxer shorts when you score a goal against Portugal during a crucial UEFA Euro 2012 match, that's when.

This is a lesson that Danish striker Nicklas Bendtner learned the hard way, when his on-field publicity stunt (known as 'ambush marketing') last week in association with Paddy Power went very wrong. While most fans who witnessed Bendtner's shorts-dropping escapade laughed at the cheeky punt, UEFA officials were anything but amused.

There is little doubt that Bendtner was expecting a slap on the hand for his on-pitch antics, but even his most ardent critics could not have foreseen just how extreme his punishment would turn out to be. This week, just a few days after the Paddy Power underwear incident that took place last Wednesday, UEFA issued a shocking statement.

Bendtner to Miss Denmark 2014 World Cup Qualifier

In it, Europe's football governing announced that it was going forward with disciplinary actions against the Danish player in the form of an extremely steep £80,000 fine and even more crushing, a one-match ban for his country, which will see Bendtner miss Denmark's crucial opening 2014 World Cup qualifier.

Danish football fans were shocked to learn of Bendtner's fate, as was Paddy Power, who upon hearing the news immediately rallied to his support, agreeing to pay his £80k fine. The Irish betting firm issued a statement questioning UEFA's heavy handed approach to what it saw as Bendtner simply displaying his 'lucky underpants.'

Of course, everybody knows that Bendtner was paid big bucks to put the Paddy Power brand out there. And that all parties involved thought no harm would come of it considering the slew of gambling advertising already so prevalent on stadium sidings, team shirts and even on television in some European countries. And therein lies the point.

Why Did UEFA React About Paddy Power Underwear

These days you can barely switch on a TV without seeing the logo of some online gambling giant staring back at you because gambling advertising is so common across many parts of Europe. Which begs the question of why UEFA reacted the way it did about the Paddy Power underwear incident?

It couldn't have had anything to do with decency considering that Bendtner kept his shorts firmly on throughout and only revealed the top few centimeters of his 'lucky' Paddy Power boxers. So I believe it must have had something to do with the fact that UEFA was out of the loop in terms of the sponsorship monies involved.

I think it smacks of hypocrisy that one form of gambling advertising is accepted while another is harshly punished. In addition, it hasn't been lost on football fans following this story that the Russian Football Federation has been fined far lesser amounts during Euro 2012 for unruly behaviour by their fans, including blatant racism.

 Posted by Anton Johan at 11:35 on 20 June 2012