Given the significant ongoing rise in the popularity of sports betting throughout the country, the importance of educating athletes and the public at large cannot be overstated
Entain Foundation US, a non-profit subsidiary of BetMGM co-parent Entain, and EPIC Risk Management announced that they had signed a three-year partnership with the Major League Soccer Players Association (MLSPA), under which they would educate the association’s members and raise their gambling awareness.
In a joint statement, Entain Foundation US and EPIC said the partnership would “provide customized gambling harm education and awareness programs and advisory resources” for the MLSPA, which serves as the exclusive collective bargaining representative for all players in Major League Soccer (MLS).
“The program will see EPIC deliver gambling harm prevention education and awareness workshops, and provide prevention resources, advisory resources, and content which will be made available to the entire MLSPA membership, all made possible through funding provided by Entain Foundation US.”
Ben McGregor, Director of Sports Partnerships at EPIC, said MLSPA members said the partnership would “provide crucial education and advice regarding the ever-growing relationship between wagering and professional sports in the US.
“The players, staff, and MLS, in general, have a global reach and will therefore be subject to considerable sports wagering attention around the world. This program is intended to provide MLSPA members with an informed understanding to minimize the risk of sporting integrity issues that can arise from gambling activities, as well as utilizing our considerable lived experience from facilitators who have elite sports backgrounds, who can also advise on the effects that gambling-related harm can have on an individual’s performance and welfare.”
MLSPA COO Dan Jones concurred, adding that the partnership with Entain Foundation US and EPIC “will enhance our ability to educate and equip our player pool as the presence and inherent risks of sports betting continue to evolve and permeate players’ lives. We look forward to working alongside them to ensure players have access to crucial education, resources, and support.”
Entain Foundation US sponsors a variety of information and education programs on problem gambling throughout the US. Meanwhile, EPIC runs gambling harm minimization programs and conducts independently accredited training. The firm also advises individuals and organizations in the sports wagering ecosystem to help minimize the risks posed by gambling harm.
“Given the significant ongoing rise in the popularity of sports betting throughout the country, the importance of educating athletes and the public at large cannot be overstated,” said Martin Lycka, Senior Vice President for US Regulatory Affairs and Responsible Gambling, and a trustee of Entain Foundation US.
“We are glad that the funding provided by Entain Foundation US has helped EPIC, a global leader in the delivery of problem gambling education, to have such a huge impact on one of the highest-risk populations.”
Entain Foundation US and EPIC said the education program and any associated resources would be made available to all 29 teams in MLS.
It’s not the first time that Entain Foundation US and EPIC have worked together. The pair joined forces in June 2021 to develop “Gambling Responsibly America,” a first-of-its-kind app designed to help and support people with potential gambling problems.
In January 2020, Entain Foundation US partnered with EPIC to launch a player education initiative on sports betting with professional sports leagues and colleges across the US. The next month, it partnered with EPIC, Kindbridge, the Counter-Strike Professional Players Association, and Rise Above the Disorder to support responsible gambling initiatives for online gaming and sports betting.
