EPIC, Entain Foundation U.S., and the NFLPA’s Professional Athletes Foundation collaborate to provide NFLPA members and their support networks with live in-person and online resources to educate and increase awareness of problem gambling.

Washington, D.C., March 1st, 2023 – EPIC Risk Management, Entain Foundation U.S., and the NFLPA’s Professional Athletes Foundation (NFLPA PAF) have renewed their partnership to provide gambling harm prevention awareness and education, sports integrity programs, and advisory services to NFLPA members.

EPIC Risk Management, in collaboration with Entain Foundation U.S., has provided virtual educational programs for NFLPA members since July 2020. With this new, expanded partnership, the gambling harm prevention consultancy will provide workshops, seminars, events, and customized projects using in-person lived experience facilitators in an ambitious calendar of delivery that looks to cover NFLPA members and their support networks, from the Locker Room to the Board Room.

“We are delighted, with the support of the Entain Foundation U.S., to continue working with the NFLPA PAF in supporting their proactive and holistic approach to prioritizing the welfare of the person behind the player,” says John Millington, Senior Director at EPIC Risk Management. “As the prevalence of sports wagering continues to increase across the USA – as highlighted by a new projected record $16bn wagered by 50 million Americans on last month’s Super Bowl – the need for pioneering and preventative approaches to raise awareness and minimize the risks of gambling harm also increases. Together, we will continue to provide the NFLPA PAF with our full range of gambling harm minimization expertise, so they remain at the forefront of this vital work.”

“Helping our members by educating them on the potential risks of issues such as problem gambling is a vital part of the work we do for our membership,” says Caryl Banks, Senior Professional Athletes Foundation (PAF) Manager at NFLPA. “Since being the first Players’ Association in the U.S. to partner with EPIC Risk Management, we have been positively reassured by how well we have collaborated to raise awareness around the issue of problem gambling to a statistically more vulnerable demographic.

“We’re looking forward to expanding this relationship further with a commitment to proactive and preventative action for the welfare of our members. In EPIC Risk Management, we have continued to partner with an organization that is not only a market leader in delivering such educational programs but also an organization that shares our commitment to excellence in athlete welfare.”

The PAF has served NFLPA members and their families since 1990, with over 13,000 NFLPA engaged members aiding in the post-football success of the latter group through a range of health, financial and educational resources, plus wellness events, which have been accessed by more than 7,500 members.

Through the NFLPA/PAF, they enabled the NFL to be the first professional sports league in the US to run a program on problem gambling education and awareness when they first engaged with EPIC Risk Management and Entain Foundation U.S. to face the issue head-on.

“Entain Foundation U.S. is proud to support EPIC Risk Management in their delivery of problem gambling awareness and player protection workshops to the Professional Athletes Foundation,” says Martin Lycka, Entain’s Senior Vice President for American Regulatory Affairs and Responsible Gambling and Trustee of Entain Foundation U.S. “We are glad that the funding provided by Entain Foundation U.S. has helped EPIC, the global leaders in delivery of gambling harm prevention education and advisory, to have such a huge impact on one of the highest-risk populations.”

Subject to the timing of delivery, the new project has the potential to be delivered to NFLPA members and their immediate support networks over the course of a season, and an amplified reach for wider football and general community populations.

EPIC Risk Management delivers ground-breaking harm prevention programs, independently accredited training, and class-leading advisory to help individuals and organizations across the highest risk sectors in the sports wagering ecosystem to minimize the risks posed¬¬ by gambling harm. Through a partnership with the Entain Foundation US – Entain plc’s unique non-profit subsidiary that is dedicated to promoting responsible gambling and sports integrity – EPIC Risk Management’s work in U.S. sport continues to grow.

About EPIC Risk Management
EPIC Risk Management is a globally leading independent gambling harm minimisation consultancy. Working across the highest risk sectors for gambling-related harm, EPIC has worked in 27 countries on ground-breaking harm minimisation programs, sector leading gambling operator training, and class-leading advisory. EPIC draws on lived experience to help individuals and organisations across financial services, elite sport, the military, criminal justice, education, and the gambling industry to minimise the risks posed by gambling harm. For more information on EPIC Risk Management visit https://www.epicriskmanagement.com/

About the NFLPA’s Professional Athletes Foundation

The Professional Athletes Foundation provides financial assistance and counselling toward the well-being and benefit of former players. The organization is the leading Foundation assisting NFL Former Players, with over $21 million in financial, medical, and educational assistance granted. For more information, visit: https://www.yourpaf.com/

About Entain Foundation U.S.

Entain Foundation U.S. is a first-of-its-kind non-profit organization dedicated to promoting responsible gambling, sports integrity and corporate compliance in the U.S. The Foundation was launched in 2019 by the Entain Global Foundation and the Entain Group. Trustees of Entain Foundation U.S. include Entain’s Martin Lycka, former New York Giants wide receiver and Super Bowl Champion Amani Toomer and international gambling regulatory expert Bill Pascrell III, a partner at Princeton Public Affairs Group.

Entain Foundation U.S. also sponsors a variety of information and education programs on problem gambling for professional athletes, collegiate athletes, coaches and teams at 40 U.S colleges and universities and several associated leagues. Globally, the Entain Foundation has committed more than $100 million to responsible gambling programs over the next five years. For more information see the group’s website: https://entainfoundation-us.com/