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Bookmaker Paddy Power has come under fire for offering punters a 'money back deal' if Oscar Pistorius is cleared of murdering his former girlfriend.
The Irish betting company is promoting the bet as the Paralympic athlete's trial begins in Pretoria.
Pistorius, 27, known as The Blade Runner, stands accused of the premeditated murder of 30-year-old model Reeva Steenkamp at his home on Valentine's Day last year.
In a post on its official blog, Paddy Power said if the South African is found not guilty of the crime, anyone who has placed a bet on him to be jailed will be given a refund.
Punters are being offered odds of 7/4 on Pistorius being sent down, and 2/5 odds for his acquittal.
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The post includes the line: "As an international media circus descends on South Africa, Paddy Power's marketing department has entered the fray."
The advert, which includes an image of an Oscar award statue with the athlete's face superimposed, is titled: "It's Oscar Time - Money Back If He Walks".
But an online petition calling on MPs to put pressure on Paddy Power to remove the advert describes the bookmakers' justification for the betting offer as "unacceptable", adding that it appears to mock violence against women.
The petition, launched by Jean Hatchet, is quickly gaining support, with more than 100,000 signatures as of Tuesday.
It says: "Please consider the vast surge of public outrage against the terrible decision you have taken to offer bets upon the outcome of the Oscar Pistorius trial.
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"Reeva Steenkamp was a young woman brutally murdered and her parents are grieving still. Her death is not and should never be a source of entertainment or profit.
"I have seen your attempt to explain the decision and it is unacceptable."
"138 women died in the UK last year as a result of male violence against women. This is not something that should be seen as "sport"."
The petition's supporters suggested the stunt was distasteful and offensive.
Helen Mills wrote: "This is a trial resulting from the murder of a woman and should not be treated as a form of entertainment."
Tim Hamstead said: "The death of a woman should not be used as a publicity stunt. A new disgusting low for the UK."
Paddy Power’s chief financial officer Cormac McCarthy has refused to apologise for the stunt.