A new initiative aimed at raising awareness about gambling among football players has been introduced to all senior football teams in the League of Ireland, organizers announced on Wednesday. This program has successfully engaged more than 1,250 players, as well as staff from the FAI and officials from clubs and matches, just three months after its launch, marking the completion of the first phase of the initiative.
The program, funded by Flutter, is part of a three-year partnership between the League of Ireland (LOI) and education provider EPIC Global Solutions (EPIC), which began in January. It has conducted workshops for all 32 senior men’s and women’s teams in the league, delivering an expected 70 sessions each year and aiming to involve over 2,000 participants annually. The goal is to improve understanding of gambling-related issues and reduce harm within the football community.
Stephen McGuiness, general secretary of the Professional Footballers Association of Ireland, stated, “It is great to see the significant impact this programme is having in supporting and guiding players.” Since its inception, over 1,000 players have attended workshops, with nearly 100 FAI staff participating in sessions at the federation's headquarters in Dublin this week.
EPIC, which rebranded from EPIC Risk Management in 2023, has customized its sessions to include personal stories from notable figures. For example, former Liverpool defender Dominic Matteo shared his experiences with gambling issues during the program in Ireland. The organization has provided similar training over the past eight years in collaboration with Sky Bet across the English Football League.
Data from EPIC shows that the program's workshops are having a tangible impact. Post-workshop surveys reveal significant changes in participants’ knowledge and confidence regarding gambling:
– 89% of participants expressed confidence in recognizing harmful gambling behavior and understanding how to voice their concerns.
– Awareness of FAI and UEFA integrity regulations increased to 94% following the sessions.
– Female participants particularly rated the sessions highly, with 98% giving them scores of 8 to 10 out of 10.
LOI officials noted that the data provides “gender-specific insights” that can inform future outreach and interventions.
Paul Buck, CEO of EPIC, highlighted the importance of the findings: “Seeing 89% of players confident in recognizing harmful gambling behavior – and knowing how to respond – validates everything we’ve built this programme around. When education comes from former players who’ve lived these experiences, it resonates.” Mark Scanlon, director of the League of Ireland, added, “We look forward to rolling out the education programme across our clubs' academy teams over the next few months and we’re confident this prevention-based approach will have a significant impact over the three years of this partnership.”
The program is being launched at a time when Ireland’s gambling regulatory framework is evolving, with the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) officially beginning its operations in March 2025, and applications for betting licenses set to open in February 2026 as part of a phased rollout.
