Aussie furore over Sportsbet 'roid' TV advert

Aussie online gambling group Sportsbet’s attempt to follow its parent group Paddy Power in creating funny but controversial adverts has come in for a panning Downunder.

The companies “Android – Ben Johnson and The Endorsers” TV advert featuring disgraced 1988 Olympics sprint runner Ben Johnson, who later faced doping charges, has been receiving flak from sports personalities and government officials for associating sports with doping and slogans that suggest the new Sportsbet app “puts the roid into Android.”

The advert has certainly generated plenty of publicity in print and electronic media, with many supporting the company’s assertion that it’s just a bit of fun and in no way endorses the use of drugs in sport.

Federal sports minister Greg Hunt urged the company to take the material down.

The advert features amusing parodies of internationally famous sportsmen and women who have faced allegations of using performance enhancing drugs, all praising the new app.

Apparently Johnson was paid A$200,000 for his involvement in the Aussie production, which can be viewed here: