Sportsbet TV Ad Featuring Former Sprinter Ben Johnson Sparks Outrage
A TV ad for a gambling company that features "disgraced sprinter Ben Johnson making light of doping has sparked outrage in Australia," with politicians and sports officials "demanding it be pulled from the air," according to Ian Ransom of REUTERS. The Sportsbet ad has Johnson, who was stripped of his 100m Gold Medal in the 1988 Seoul Games after testing positive for a banned steroid, promoting a "juiced-up" mobile phone app. In the ad, which includes other doping-related puns and muscular athletes "touting the app," Johnson said, "It tested positive for speed and power again and again." Federal Sports Minister Greg Hunt criticized Sportsbet and said that the company "should pull the ad." Hunt: "To use a known drug cheat such as Ben Johnson to advertise their product is utterly inappropriate." Independent senator Nick Xenophon called upon national media watchdog Australian Communications & Media Authority to "take action." Xenophon said, "It is just wrong on so many levels -- glorifying a drug cheat, tying it in with gambling and promoting it to kids in a lighthearted way." In a statement, the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority said, "This advertising campaign belittles the achievements of clean athletes and denigrates those who work to protect clean sport across the world." Australian 400m freestyle swimming champion Mack Horton tweeted, "This is naht cool."
The proliferation of gambling advertising at sport venues and on TV has "raised alarm bells in Australia," where nearly A$23B was lost in all forms of legal wagering in the '14-15 financial year. Earlier this month, PM Malcolm Turnbull confirmed the government would "ban gambling ads" from live sporting events before 8:30pm (REUTERS, 5/15). The BBC reported the company "defended the advert" and said that it "will not be pulled." There are several doping puns used in the ad, including claims the app is "a hit with performance-enhancement experts all over the world." A spokesperson for Sportsbet said that it did not "condone the use of performance-enhancing drugs" but made "no apologies for injecting some humour into advertising" (BBC, 5/15). The London GUARDIAN reported Sportsbet said that the ad was "approved and rated by Commercials Advice," and had been permitted to air at the same times as all of its other product and retail advertisements (GUARDIAN, 5/14). In Melbourne, Rob Harris reported industry sources said that Johnson was paid A$200,000 ($148,320) to "appear in the spoof commercial." Sportsbet denied Johnson received A$200,000 but "would not confirm the amount it paid for Johnson." Spokesperson Will Byrne said, "We've received overwhelmingly positive support from the public and they see it for what it is, a tongue-in-cheek joke" (HERALD SUN, 5/15).
CELEBRATING CHEATING: In Sydney, Stephen Brook opined this "disgraceful ad for Sportsbet that celebrates cheating in sport prompted 70 complaints over the weekend." The company "must be delighted." Delighted because "all the extra controversy (read free publicity) will turbocharge the success of the commercial -- it will reach far more people than the Sportsbet original media spend." The "dubious nature of a sports betting company celebrating cheating cannot be lost on anyone." Yes, "the stereotypes are kind of funny, but nothing can take away from the sad lifeless eyes of Ben Johnson as he knowingly humiliates himself to make some cash" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 5/15).
