Chicago football club to launch problem gambling sessions for teams
Problem gambling and responsible gaming will be the topic of a series of sessions delivered to the Chicago Fire Football Club teams.
US.- The Chicago Fire Football Club has announced it will launch a programme for its teams to tackle problem gambling and raise gaming awareness. It says it will be the first football club in the United States to launch such a programme.
The sessions will be developed in partnership with Epic Risk Management, a consultancy specialised in gambling harm minimisation, and the Entain Foundation US, which promotes responsible gambling in the US.
Brian Roberts, director of performance, advisory and support services at Chicago Fire FC, said: “We know that young athletes are at greater risk of being affected by problematic gaming and gambling, and we recognise the need to take a proactive approach to educating our players and parents on these risks.
“The real-life stories that Epic Risk Management use in their educational sessions brings focus to gambling in a way that will have a true impact and will provide our Academy players with the understanding needed to make informed decisions.
“We are excited to work with an organisation open to customising an approach to educating our Academy players.”
Sessions will begin in May and will continue throughout the year via videoconference. In-person sessions may be held if the Covid-19 pandemic allows.
John Millington, VP of US operations at Epic Risk Management, said: “We are delighted to be able to work closely with Chicago Fire and their performance, advisory, and support services staff to customise our program to integrate into their existing PASS Education.
“Our collaboration with the Entain Foundation US represents a key strategic piece of our prevention pillar. It is essential that professional sports teams and leagues recognise a collective responsibility to educate their players, staff, and their fan base, and we are delighted Chicago Fire have proactively embraced the importance of integrating this market leading education into their existing programs. I hope many more teams will follow their lead.”
