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Urine Luck: Paddy Power Rio print promo offers free bets if Russia beats Team GB or Ireland athletes

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By John McCarthy, Opinion Editor

July 26, 2016 | 2 min read

Bookmaker Paddy Power has continued its campaign against Russia with a new Olympics promotion offering a retry on bets where British or Irish athletes lose out to Russians, following the IOC doping scandal.

Paddy Power Urine Luck

Paddy Power Urine Luck

Following on from last week’s supposed medal amnesty for drug cheat athletes outside the Russian embassy, the group is offering more than condolences to bettors pipped at the post by athletes from the Motherland.

Despite widespread evidence of state-sponsored doping over a period of four years, in research provided by the World Anti-Doping Agency, the IOC ruled that Russian athletes be allowed to attend the games after a sketchy period where the decision hung in the balance.

The ad ran in the Daily Star and Daily Mirror in the UK and the Irish Daily Star and the Irish Sun today (Tuesday 26 July).

Ken Robertson, advertising director at Paddy Power Betfair said: “When we heard about the IOC’s decision we were Russian around to see how we could help our punters, and money back as a free bet if a Team GB or Ireland athlete finishes 2nd to a Russian seemed like a dope idea.

“We’re very happy with the ad, and if anything, it’s our creative team that have been taking performance-enhancing substances."

It’s not the bookie’s first clash with Russia after aggravating the embassy with a pre-Euro 2016 play on the infamous Jamie Vardy tweet ‘Chat Shit, Get Banged’.

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