Paddy Power is right up there with Guinness as one of Irelands most famous brands. Founded in 1988 when three existing bookmakers joined forces, it has seen steady growth ever since, through both further acquisitions and more organic expansion. Originally exclusive to Ireland, it has more recently expanded to the United Kingdom mainland as well, where it now operates high street shops in most major cities.
Paddy Power is a bookmaker that certainly doesn’t shy away from controversy, having previously offered odds on bizarre markets particularly to garner additional publicity. This tactic has certainly worked, with perhaps the best known stunt being the market on whether newly inaugurated US President Barrack Obama would complete his first term. This was widely interpreted as his odds of assassination, perhaps not the first thing that would spring to mind when placing a bet!
Another publicity stunt that Paddy Power successfully pulled to increase online chess betting its brand awareness was in the 2008-2009 Premier League Football season. After just a single game of the season, they paid out on bets for Premier League new-boys Stoke City to be relegated. Stoke City had lost their first game 3-1 at Bolton, but recovered to a comfortable mid-table finish, leaving egg on the bookmakers face? Maybe not; a full page apology was issued to the club and its supporters in an Irish daily newspaper, the resultant publicity was huge.
In more standard betting terms, Paddy Power are probably most famous for their “Money – Back Specials.” This is a regular feature of their online betting site where the punters stake will be refunded under a certain set of circumstances. An example of a recent offer – a refund of your stake on a first goal scorer if he does not score first and then the favourite team goes on to win a football match. Specials such as this add an extra thrill element to the bet, as even when the first part loses there is still something to cheer for. This additional value in the bet is what keeps Paddy Power customers coming back for more.
As part of the drive for new customers in a particularly competitive industry, Paddy Power is currently offering a free bet sign up bonus for all new accounts. This is in the form of a free bet whereby the new customer deposits and stakes up to a given limit, and this is then matched with a free bet to the same value. This is an ideal way to get familiarised with the Paddy Power website, without solely risking your own cash.
Without hesitation I would recommend a more detailed look at the Paddy Power website. They really are just a little bit different in both their public image, and the betting markets that they offer. It is particularly worth spending some time looking into the range of Money-Back Specials, these are unique bets that you simply won’t find elsewhere.
If you plan to visit today, ensure you take advantage of the free bet on offer for new accounts, and enjoy betting with this unique online bookmaker.