The sponsorship, which is valued at £10,000, was the brainchild of Paddy Power and Newmarket Parish Priest Father Michael Griffin with the sponsorship money helping to finance the reordering of the church. The reordering has been planned for a number of years with finance proving a major a hurdle. Church members are surprisingly united in their acceptance of and gratitude for the online casino sponsorship. The church priest mentions that he and the church leaders are delighted to have the generous donation, and says he has included Paddy Power by name in sermons.
Father Michael Griffin, the parish priest, told local press: "An enterprising member of our fund raising committee was ringing anyone with vaguely Catholic or Irish connections and spoke to Paddy Power who agreed to make this generous donation. I’ve been asked whether the proceeds of gambling are suitable to fund churches, but all churches built around the time this one was, in the 1960s, were funded by football pools, bingo evenings and raffles".
Mark Hackeson, spokesman for the Catholic diocese, said, "There is nothing morally wrong with gambling unless it deprives people of what is necessary to provide for their needs and that of their dependants".
Paddy Power said, "From our point of view it’s a great fit to sponsor a confession box in a church nestled in the galloping heart of British horse racing. We hope that over time confessing your sins in the Paddy Power confession box will become a tradition for Newmarket race goers!"
Paddy Power is targeted to the UK and European markets and at present supports accounts in just two currencies: GBP Sterling (£) Euro (€). German and Spanish language sites are also available. Paddy Power is also renowned for "Justice" payouts where they pay out based on what they think should have happened, as well as the actual result. A great deal for online gamblers!
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