Martin Lycka to welcome former Liverpool and Leeds star to Safe Bet Show at SBC Summit 2025

Safer gambling expert will welcome Dominic Matteo to the expo for a live edition.

Press release.- Safer gambling expert Martin Lycka will welcome former Liverpool and Leeds defender Dominic Matteo to SBC Summit 2025 for a live edition of The Safe Bet Show in collaboration with EPIC Global Solutions.

Matteo made 155 appearances for Liverpool between 1992 and 2000 before moving to Leeds United. During his time at the club, he played a key role in their run to the Champions League semi-finals and later went on to captain the side. He also enjoyed spells at Sunderland, Stoke City, and Blackburn Rovers, and represented Scotland at international level.

Since retiring at the end of the 2008/09 season, Matteo has become a leading voice in the safer gambling space, drawing on his own experience of struggling with gambling addiction. He now works with EPIC alongside his wife, Jess Matteo, where they serve as Lived Experience Facilitators to help raise awareness of gambling-related harm among professional athletes.

Matteo’s gambling addiction began towards the end of his career while playing for Blackburn. At its worst, he placed a £500,000 bet on a single horse race and accumulated debts of more than £1m. His recovery began with the unwavering support of his wife Jess, whose role he describes as instrumental in helping him rebuild his life.

That support proved vital once again in 2019, when Matteo was diagnosed with a brain tumour that required life-saving surgery and radiotherapy. Remarkably, the tumour had been dormant since childhood— leading to reflect that he had unknowingly played his entire professional career with it.

Ahead of the live show, Lycka said: “Dominic’s journey is one of incredible resilience. His willingness to speak openly about his struggles and his fantastic educational work with athletes is deeply impactful. Having him and Jess join me for this live edition of The Safe Bet Show brings an essential human perspective to the wider conversation on player protection. I’m honoured that I’ll be able to share the stage with them both in Lisbon.”