The key issue was not simply taste. The update says the regulator judged the humour to depend on a negative portrayal of a nationality, and that is a much more serious finding than a complaint about a joke falling flat.
That is an important distinction for football-facing brands. Fan culture often trades in stereotypes, but regulators appear increasingly willing to separate terrace-style mockery from acceptable commercial messaging.
Paddy Power has long built its image on provocation. In football, that can be commercially effective: bold campaigns cut through during packed tournament schedules. But there is a cost when the joke becomes the story.
Reports say the company argued the billboard was humorous and aimed at England football supporters rather than the population more broadly. Even so, the reported ruling appears to reject that defence. Once a campaign broadens a football stereotype into a national one, the risk changes.
That matters because bookmakers do not operate on personality alone. They operate under scrutiny, and every misstep strengthens the case for tighter oversight.
Football advertising loves edge, especially around major internationals. But this episode is a reminder that not every rivalry can be packaged as wit. Brands can still be sharp, funny and tribal without framing one nationality as inferior to another.
The next thing to watch is not a fixture list but the next tournament campaign cycle. When betting firms return to football’s biggest stages, the tone of their creative work may be more cautious - and for good reason.