The League of Ireland has announced the rollout of a comprehensive educational programme designed to proactively address gambling harm in Irish football, marking a first-of-its-kind initiative across League of Ireland clubs.
The programme will be delivered by EPIC Global Solutions, an award-winning consultancy with extensive experience working across elite sport internationally. Sessions will begin later this month and will be delivered in person at training facilities across the country.
Endorsed by the Football Association of Ireland, the National League Committee and the Professional Footballers Association of Ireland, the initiative extends beyond players to include coaches, match officials and FAI staff, embedding a league-wide approach to education, integrity and wellbeing.
A defining feature of the programme is its lived-experience delivery model. Former professional footballers and athletes who have personally experienced gambling harm will lead the sessions, sharing their stories directly with players and staff. Those involved include former EFL player Marc Williams, former Ireland Under-21 international Scott Davies – now player-manager at Slough Town – and ex-Premier League and Scotland international Dominic Matteo.
Alongside gambling harm awareness, EPIC will also facilitate the delivery of UEFA-standard betting integrity training, ensuring full alignment with FAI regulations that prohibit players, officials and staff from betting on football at any level.
The scale of the initiative is significant. In total, 70 workshops per annum will be delivered across the League of Ireland ecosystem, reaching more than 2,000 participants each year. These will include sessions for 32 senior teams across the men’s and women’s leagues, 26 academy programmes at U17 level, and 10 Women’s Development League teams. Additional sessions will be delivered to League of Ireland match officials and FAI staff.
League of Ireland Director Mark Scanlon said the programme reflects the league’s growth and its increasing responsibility to lead on integrity and player welfare.
“As the League of Ireland grows each year, it is very important to work with all stakeholders, including our players and match officials, with integrity at the centre of the game,” he said. “This partnership with EPIC also allows us to proactively prevent potential gambling harm amongst our players.
“We know the vast majority of people gamble without an issue, but the seminars at our academy clubs will be hugely beneficial in educating the next generation of Irish footballers. We have seen the work EPIC is doing with the English Football League and the measurable impact it is having, and we look forward to seeing that replicated here.”
The programme is funded by Flutter, which also supported EPIC’s launch of the world’s first gambling harm prevention programme in professional football in 2017. That original initiative, delivered in partnership with Sky Bet and the English Football League, is now in its eighth year and has reached more than 10,200 players, coaches and academy staff, making it the most extensive programme of its kind in European sport.
PFA Ireland General Secretary Stephen McGuiness said the three-year partnership represents a significant step in safeguarding the future of the game.
“By delivering gambling awareness training to both male and female players at senior and academy level, we are ensuring that education and support reaches every player, regardless of where they are in their career,” he said. “EPIC has an excellent reputation and a proven track record working with player organisations in Ireland, which gives us confidence in the quality and impact of this programme.
“We also believe that former players sharing their personal stories of harm will bring a powerful and relatable perspective to the training. Protecting player wellbeing and helping players make informed choices is a responsibility we take seriously.”
EPIC Chief Executive Paul Buck said the focus of the programme is prevention, empowerment and early awareness.
“Following the success of similar initiatives we’ve delivered in elite sport, this programme aims to help players recognise the signs of gambling harm, better understand their own relationship with betting and be more aware of pathways to support,” he said. “The message is delivered most powerfully by people the players respect – former footballers sharing real experiences of harm and recovery.
“They simply did not have the same education or opportunity around prevention that players now have, and we are really pleased to be able to bring this training to Irish football.”
Flutter CEO Kevin Harrington said the company was proud to fund the programme as part of its wider commitment to safer gambling and sporting integrity.
“As a major betting operator, we take our responsibilities around protecting customers and the integrity of sport very seriously,” he said. “As a global company founded in Ireland, we are incredibly proud to support the League of Ireland’s commitment to proactive prevention and education through this independently delivered programme.”
Sport for Business Perspective
With increased scrutiny on gambling sponsorship and advertising, governing bodies and leagues are under growing pressure to demonstrate leadership beyond compliance.
By investing in education that reaches players early in their careers, particularly at academy level, the League of Ireland is positioning itself at the forefront of best practice in integrity and welfare. It also strengthens the league’s proposition to sponsors, policymakers and supporters by showing that growth and professionalism are being matched with governance and care.
As the domestic game continues to expand in visibility and participation, the rollout of this programme sets a new benchmark for how leagues can address gambling harm proactively, credibly and at scale.
Image Credit: Sport for Business
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