The League of Ireland has introduced an education strategy across the league to combat harm from gambling, and the move signals concern, intent, and shared responsibility within football.

A new league-wide education programme now operates across the League of Ireland, representing the first unified initiative of this size within all club competitions, according to a league press release. Later this month, on-site workshops will begin at club training facilities, allowing the league to establish a shared preventive framework absent from Irish domestic football. Responsibility for delivery sits with EPIC Global Solutions, a firm active in integrity education and gambling harm prevention across professional sports.

Financial backing comes from Flutter, maintaining its support for EPIC projects, and the partnership follows a 2017 effort with the English Football League and Sky Bet that lasted eight years and reached over 10,000 people. Flutter UK & Ireland CEO Kevin Harrington said the Ireland-founded company stands behind the league’s commitment to prevention and education through an independently delivered programme. The framework holds support from the Football Association of Ireland, the National League Committee, and the Professional Footballers Association of Ireland, creating shared alignment between regulators and players.

By extending participation, the initiative promotes understanding of gambling risks, regulatory rules, and shared welfare responsibility across football roles. Organisers intend this approach to build awareness across league culture instead of limiting action to one demographic.

Lived Experience Drives Workshop Engagement

Use of lived experience stands as a central feature of workshop delivery across the programme. Sessions avoid abstract discussion and rely on former professional athletes with experience of gambling addiction to lead the learning. Those involved include Dominic Matteo from Premier League football, Scott Davies serving as Slough Town player-manager, and Marc Williams with an EFL background.  Sharing experiences from elite sport helps facilitators connect with participants through direct understanding. Alongside awareness work, the programme adds a betting integrity section aligned with UEFA standards. This supports FAI regulations banning betting on football for players and staff, ensuring awareness of legal responsibility and disciplinary consequences.

Such dual focus supports welfare needs and maintains professional standards within the sport. In scale terms, organisers plan 70 workshops each year with education targets above 2,000 people. Delivery reaches 32 senior men’s and women’s squads, 26 Under-17 academy teams, and 10 Women’s Development League teams, together with officials and staff. Paul Buck, EPIC CEO, highlighted a prevention-first focus in Ireland, while Harrington linked Flutter funding to the protection of sports integrity.