SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
French betting group Betclic has courted controversy after launching its new Portuguese advertising campaign ‘Censurado – (Censored)’ featuring popular comedian António Raminhos.
The integrated campaign, which features the slogan ‘The ad that TV could not approve’, sees Raminhos ‘bleeped out’ on TV formats as he tries to explain the benefits of wagering on Betclic against Placard– the digital property of Portuguese state-owned gambling regulator Santa Casa da Misericórdia.
A ‘censored’ Raminhos urges Portuguese audiences to turn to YouTube, where they will be uninterrupted in finding out the advantages of Betclic versus Placard.pt, with the comedian highlighting a vast array of in-play markets, live sports streaming events and a wider selection of bet types as Betclic benefits.
In 2016, Betclic became the first international bookmaker to be granted a ‘B+ Licence’ by the Portuguese government, allowing the firm to operate online sports betting and casino provisions.
The French betting outfit would remain in the market as European counterparts William Hill, Betfair and bet365 departed Portugal, contesting the government’s reformed ‘Online Gambling Bill’, which introduced an ‘unworkable’ 8-16% betting turnover tax.
In addition, the Portuguese government was further criticised for allowing Santa Casa da Misericórdia to maintain its gambling services, creating an unbalanced marketplace for competitors.
Since reforming its online gambling market in 2016, only 888, Betano (Greece) and Luckia (Spain) have followed Betclic in joining the regulated Portuguese sports betting market.
