SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
The often outspoken and opinionated footballer Joey Barton is the latest English midfielder to be signed up by Team Paddy Power.
This move by the Irish bookmaker follows their announcement that Paul Scholes would be contributing a new column for their blog section. Barton joins the newly rebranded Facebook app Paddy Power Social (formerly Paddy Power In-Play) wherein customers will be able to go head-to-head with the QPR man during the World Cup.
With the tagline ‘Bet Against Barton’, the man himself will make a bet for each World Cup match which customers can then opt to copy or, you guessed it, bet against Barton.
Paddy Power, known for and proud of, its often controversial outbursts seems the ideal match for Barton. Jack Dinnan, Social Marketing Manager at Paddy Power, stated how his reputation was part of what drew them to the player; “Considering his background in football, social media and political debate, we’re sure that Joey won’t shy away from any tough tackles on the chat board”.
“Joe’s knowledge of the game and his understanding of social media make him the perfect sport-star to demonstrate what Paddy Power Social is all about”, he continued.
This is not the first time Barton has worked alongside the bookmaker. The former Manchester City and Marseille man actively supported their ‘Right Behind Gay Footballers’ rainbow laces campaign, which was also associated with the charity Stonewall.
This time around Barton will be involved on the Paddy Power Social; Facebook’s first real-money sports betting app. He will engage with the Terrace Talk section, which allows players to copy bets, laugh at bets, leave comments, swap tips and follow one another.
