NCAA and EPIC Global Solutions extend gambling education programme
The programme will now run until the end of 2027.
US.- The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and EPIC Global Solutions have announced an extension of their collaboration on a gambling harm education programme. The programme launched in 2022.
The new agreement will allow NCAA members to receive in-person educational sessions funded by the NCAA national office through the end of 2027. Sessions will include topics such as handling social media harassment, promoting competition integrity, and the mental health impacts of sports betting. The NCAA and EPIC Global Solutions say they have educated over 80,000 student-athletes so far through in-person sessions at more than 270 US campuses across all three divisions.
According to the NCAA, the effectiveness of existing sessions has been demonstrated through surveys, in which 96 per cent of student-athletes and 98 per cent of staff members reported that they have good or excellent awareness of the potential harms as a result of talks in the past year.
NCAA president Charlie Baker said: “EPIC has been a great collaborator for us in this space. Their lived experience education model is helpful for our student-athletes to hear stories about the pitfalls of sports betting from people who were once in their shoes as elite athletes. Protecting student-athletes, giving them the tools necessary to safeguard themselves from bad actors, and maintaining the integrity of competition have been and will continue to be priorities for us.”
Paul Buck, CEO of EPIC Global Solutions, added: “At a time of unprecedented growth of gambling in the USA, it is imperative that higher-risk populations receive high-quality education and awareness around the potential of harm. This will help to protect the student-athletes and also the integrity of the events. We applaud President Baker, and the NCAA as an organization, for prioritizing this program and committing long-term to EPIC as the provider.”
