Will The Pope Be Arrested to Sin Bin: Bookie Confessions

It was just last week that Ireland's number one bookmaker, Paddy Power, had been offering odds on whether Pope Benedict XVI to be arrested when he visits Britain in September and put on trial for allegedly covering up sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.

Now the Irish bookie has taken things one step further.

They've sponsored a confessional with the Paddy Power branding in an effort to save one Catholic church (or at least pay for improvements to the structure). 

Newmarket is the home of British flat racing and the church has long been seeking ways of building a better relationship with its racing community, according to a Sky News report.

Paddy has reportedly pledged $10,000 towards the confessional, monies that would be used to spruce up the church.

There is of course a pretty striking contradiction as City AM rightfully points out:

"The argument for sponsoring race-goers to confess their sins in the box before happily making their way for a day's unrestrained gambling at the festival? Surely that's against the ethics of the church?"

No word yet on what the Vatican has to say about all of this.

Alistair Prescott, Gambling911.com