Tom Waterhouse: Somehow I’ve become the face of gambling – sorry about that
Tom Waterhouse has announced he will “dramatically cut back” from advertising on Channel Nine’s NRL coverage from tonight in an open letter apologising to the public for his ubiquity.
The high profile head of online betting site Tomwaterhouse.com has become the public face of the controversy around live betting odds being spruiked on live broadcasts of football games. And his heavy rotation ads featuring his slogan “I know what punters want” sparked a backlash of video parodies.
“Because I stand up as the bookmaker, and do not present as a faceless corporation, I also have, somehow, become the public face of the entire Australian gambling industry,” he wrote in an article published by News Limited today.
“If people have an issue with gambling, it seems to become an issue with me personally and I have to cop it on the chin,” he wrote.
Waterhouse said he needed to advertise heavily in order to take on the “big boys”, such as overseas corporates “who have taken over betting in Australia”, and Australian betting group TAB, he said.
Tomwaterhouse.com accounts for around five per cent of the racing and sports betting market with an estimated turnover of around $300 million, and he spends around five per cent of the betting advertising dollar, he claimed.
The son of trainer Gai Waterhouse and bookie Robert Waterhouse, Tom Waterhouse has reportedly been in talks with Channel Nine executives this week to discuss cutting back his $12.5million promotional deal — in which he spruiks live odds during NRL broadcasts — by around 20 per cent.
Under government proposals promotion of live odds by gambling companies and commentators will be prohibited during live broadcasts of sport.
Waterhouse claims that although advertising has been allowed since 2008, betting revenue has not increased since 2007. “What has changed is that TAB’s share has dropped with the competition and the corporate bookmakers have grown,” he said.
“My online business is still young and striving to grow and so I have needed to advertise heavily. This is the reality of being a privately owned, proudly Australian company – employing around 100 Australian workers – trying to take on some very big foreign players in an intensively competitive market.”
“However the public has spoken and you will see less of me on TV. I have listened.”
Wasn’t that the brief Tom?
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He appears to crave the fame but not have the basic smarts (or personality) to deal with it.
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So he’s admitting he didn’t actually know what punters want.
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Cry me a river Tommy…
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Another one of those wining scions of a rich family who without their employment would be doing manual work.
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DTM,
I think the brief was “make sure no one knows this brand is owned by Robbie Waterhouse.”
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Which PR agency told Tom to do all this in the first place ? …… you Max??
Now they tell him to invoke the PR text book Exxon Valdes response “I’m sorry for being a toxic social polluter”. That won’t cut it Max. Myself and 50,000 other punters won’t be betting with Tom tomorrow – or ever again.
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I can’t stand this guy or anything he stands for but I wouldn’t have the faintest clue who he was if it wasn’t for ABC News. I don’t watch sport, I’ve never seen any of his ads but I’m still morally opposed to him.
Bad PR strategy much?
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My heart bleeds for you
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@Cognitively DIssonant
Too true.
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because Gai has had Ray Thomas of the Daily Tele in her back pocket for years, the waterhouses thought they understood PR and marketing but this whole fiasco has shown what amateurs they really are
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I totally agree with no odds being broadcast on free to air tv or any sporting event for that matter.
however I do think that tom waterhouse is copping an unfair bashing. what about tab sports betting with Munsie.
He has been all over it for years and no one ever said a word. this is not new and tom has copped it royally when government owned and run businesses were doing the same thing……….
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It appears Tom is….(a)
Counting it up
Out of this world
Cashing in
Ka-ching
Helpless
Effortless
Afterthoughts
Draining
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parasites
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What a collection of holier-than-thou comments from a group that would have probably given their “left one” 12 months ago to have worked on Tom’s multi-million dollar launch campaign.
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Somehow? SOMEHOW?????
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agree with you Fartster.
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Tom Says he is sorry and will cut back on his smiling face on the channel 9 sports and will only bore us with his ads in the beginning, mid game break and game end, does he think that we are so stupid as to think that no children will be watching before the game starts or at halve time or at the end of the game.
Get this guy right of the TV, I can’t stand him any way with his smarty grin on his dial lecturing to us, I turn the sound off at least that calms my nerves a little.
Ban him altogether and the public will be better off.
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Basic marketeting 101, “Understand Your Market”. Tom you broke the first rule. I never thought I’d be so pleased to see a Bunning ad again!
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The face of gambling – surely that’s what he wanted to be and he paid big bucks to become it!
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It is unfortunate for Tom that he became the whipping boy, because all the betting agencies are just as bad (TAB included). The public were clearly outraged and he was the easiest target. But ultimately it’s a good thing for the country. And as an industry we are actually in a position to help. I have before and I always will refuse to work on betting accounts. They are bad for society and should not be allowed to advertise odds during matches. At all.
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As if all of you aren’t for sale to highest bidder.
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Will be glad to see less of that smug face….
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