Flutter Entertainment and EPIC Global Solutions are extending their gambling harm prevention programme in Irish football, bringing the initiative to all 15 founding clubs in the newly launched FAI National League by the end of 2026.
The expansion builds on a three-year programme funded by Flutter and developed alongside the League of Ireland. Since January, EPIC has delivered more than 70 gambling awareness workshops to over 2,000 League of Ireland players and Football Association of Ireland staff.
The FAI National League began its inaugural season on August 29 and represents the third tier of the Irish football pyramid. The addition of its 15 founding clubs will broaden the education programme beyond the established League of Ireland structure.
EPIC’s sessions focus on recognising gambling-related risks, understanding how harmful behaviour can develop and ensuring players know where support is available. The organisation frequently uses former professional athletes with lived experience of gambling harm to deliver its training.
According to EPIC, 89% of players who have taken part in the Irish programme now report feeling confident in their knowledge of gambling awareness. EPIC CEO Paul Buck said the League of Ireland initiative has become one of the organisation’s most effective sports programmes and that extending it to National League clubs will bring the same prevention-focused education further through the Irish football system.
The expansion forms part of Flutter’s wider responsible gambling investment. The Paddy Power, Betfair and Sky Bet owner has continued to increase spending on customer protection initiatives in the UK and Ireland, including the opening of a £1.5m Centre of Excellence at its Leeds headquarters in April.
The Leeds facility houses Flutter’s approximately 450-person customer safety team and is designed to support research, testing and development of responsible gambling technology and intervention systems. Flutter has also set a target for 75% of its customers to use responsible gaming tools by 2030.
The company has maintained a strong focus on safer gambling in Ireland, where it has historical roots through Paddy Power. Its previous measures have included restrictions on credit card gambling, limits on television betting advertising during live sport and financial support for gambling harm prevention organisations.
For the FAI, the latest expansion means gambling awareness training will now reach another level of the domestic football structure as the new National League begins its first season.