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Paddy Power defends Pistorius trial betting offer

Bookmaker Paddy Power released an advert for betting on the outcome of the Oscar Pistorius murder trial. MP Power defended the company's bet, which MP Tom Watson said is "dirty".

Bookmaker Paddy Power has released an advert for betting on the outcome of the Oscar Pistorius murder trial.

The advert, which promotes a 'money back if he walks' offer, says all losing bets will be refunded if Oscar Pistorius is found not guilty of killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in February 2013.

Jean Hatchett started a petition against the advert which says: 'Paddy Power please remove your offensive betting on the outcome of the Oscar Pistorius trial and donate any profits so far to a women's charity fighting violence against women'. It has been signed by 75,000 people so far.

Mr Paddy Power defended the company and described the trial as "like OJ Simpson on steroids":

鈥淭he reason we are betting on this and offering odds on this, is not because it鈥檚 a murder trial and not because someone is dead, it鈥檚 because it鈥檚 the most talked about global news story in the world at the moment.

鈥淲e are offering odds on the outcome of the trial; we are not offering odds on domestic violence or someone being killed, we are offering odds on the outcome of a trial that is taking place.鈥

MP Tom Watson called the bet "dirty and money grabbing" and hopes the advert is withdrawn.

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