Don’t worry, your not going mad, Bet365 have been enlisting the help of Winstone for the past few years to advertise their company. His no-nonsense, hard man approach is the perfect blend of mob boss and fellow punter, simultaneously commanding our respect alongside our trust. After all, Winstone is most famous for his roles as cockney gangsters, so by choosing him as the face of their company, Bet365 are appealing to punters who admire his style and connect with his character. They are tapping into our love of gangster films like Sexy Beast or Lock Stock. Like Michael Caine in the Italian Job, we are proud of our gangster heritage and betting online revives that risky, exciting world of fast money and quick deals. Betting culture is undergoing a digital renaissance, but it is still a national institution that defines out society.

In British culture, betting was once traditionally associated with the working class, however betting online now allows people from any section of society to place bets without having to deal with the territorial insularity of the the betting shop. Winstone therefore is the perfect icon for the face of a betting brand, for he represents something quintessentially British. He comes from the East End school of hard knocks, but combines the rhetoric of a Cockney hard man with the appearance of a dapper gentleman. He bridges the gap between classes, regardless of whether you’re rich, poor or in the middle, you still respect him. If he offered you a free bet, you’d gladly accept it because of his threatening charisma and roguish charm. Winstone is one of the finest actors of his generation but above that, he’s a betting man who loves his sports, and most of us can associate with that.