(AsiaGameHub) –   Organizers announced on Wednesday that a fresh gambling awareness initiative has been provided to every senior squad within the League of Ireland.

Within three months of its launch, the program has engaged over 1,250 players, alongside Football Association of Ireland (FAI) personnel, as well as club and match officials, marking the conclusion of the project’s initial phase.

Initiative expands to cover men’s, women’s, and academy levels

Supported by Flutter, the three-year collaboration between the League of Ireland (LOI) and the education firm EPIC Global Solutions (EPIC) commenced in January. The project has successfully conducted workshops for all 32 senior men’s and women’s teams in the league.

With a target of 70 sessions annually, the gambling awareness project expects to reach more than 2,000 participants each year. Its goal is to improve knowledge and mitigate gambling-related harm throughout the football community.

“It is encouraging to witness the substantial influence this initiative is having in providing support and guidance to players,” stated Stephen McGuiness, general secretary of the Professional Footballers Association of Ireland.

Organizers noted that over 1,000 players have taken part in workshops since the program’s inception. Additionally, nearly 100 FAI staff members participated in sessions held at the federation’s Dublin headquarters this week.

Known as EPIC Risk Management until its 2023 rebrand, EPIC has customized its sessions to include the personal accounts of prominent figures. For example, former Liverpool defender Dominic Matteo shared his own experiences regarding gambling debts during the Irish program.

In collaboration with Sky Bet, the organization has delivered comparable training throughout the English Football League for the past eight years.

Gambling awareness initiative yields quantifiable results for players

Preliminary findings published by EPIC highlight the success of the workshops. Surveys conducted after the sessions indicate improvements in participant awareness and self-assurance:

• 89% of male and female attendees expressed confidence in their ability to identify indicators of problematic gambling and understood how to report concerns.
• Knowledge regarding FAI and UEFA integrity rules increased to 94% following the sessions.
• Female participants provided particularly high feedback, with 98% rating the sessions between 8 and 10 out of 10.

LOI representatives noted that the data offers “gender-specific insights” that will help inform future communications and strategies.

Paul Buck, CEO of EPIC, commented on the results: “The fact that 89% of players feel confident in identifying harmful gambling behavior—and know how to act—confirms the foundation of this program. When education is delivered by former players who have lived through these challenges, it carries more weight.”

“We are eager to extend this educational program to our club academy teams in the coming months, and we are certain that this preventative strategy will yield a meaningful impact throughout the three-year partnership,” added Mark Scanlon, director of the League of Ireland.

The program coincides with a period of transition for Ireland’s gambling regulations. The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) was officially established in March 2025, with a phased implementation that includes the opening of betting license applications in February 2026.