Paddy Power’s online joke takes on a life of its own

BOOKMAKERS are supposed to be prescient but Paddy Power seems to have taken it to the next level when it joked last month about merging with rival Betfair.

Paddy Power’s social media team took to Twitter to poke fun at the frenzied pace of dealmaking within the gambling sector, which has seen rivals Ladbrokes and Gala Coral announce a £2.3bn deal, and Bwin.party, the online gaming group, hold takeover talks with both 888 and GVC.

However, the Paddy Power tweet, sent on July 24, yesterday became the focus of ridicule as Twitter users made fun of it, adopting the spoof hashtag #BettyPower after the announcement of the potential tie-up with Betfair.

But the merger news also prompted some online banter between the new partners.

Paddy Power has built up a reputation for outspoken and often controversial social media and marketing campaigns.

In April, the Irish betting firm was forced to apologise for likening Newcastle United’s record at Liverpool Football Club to police beatings of African-Americans.

Last August, the firm sparked amusement when it posted a series of flirty text responses to a man called Steve who accidentally texted the wrong number.

As a warm-up to the football World Cup, Paddy Power also sparked outrage when it leaked an image appearing to show that it had carved a message of support out of the Amazon rainforest. It later confirmed that it was a hoax.