EPIC’s ‘first foray’ into horse racing with gambling harm prevention deal

EPIC Risk Management continues in its efforts to minimise gambling harm through a partnership with Racing Welfare.

The collaboration with the charity – which supports the workforce of British horseracing, comes during Safer Gambling Week, a cross-industry initiative to promote safer betting in the UK and Ireland.

Working with Racing Welfare as the charity’s Safer Gambling Education Partner to provide education to those working within the horse racing industry, the firm’s new project aims to raise awareness of, minimise and prevent gambling-related harm.

“We’re delighted to announce this pioneering partnership with Racing Welfare, our first foray into the sport of horse racing and certainly not our last,” stated EPIC Risk Management Director of Sports Partnerships, Ben McGregor.

“Through meaningful, impactful gambling-harm prevention education delivered by our lived experience members of our team – those facilitators who have experienced gambling-harm in their own lives – we are looking forward to partnering with Racing Welfare to engender a culture of gambling that is free from harm in a sport that is synonymous with the gambling industry.”

The pair have also outlined that the programme will be delivered by individuals with lived experience of problem gambling.

The charity’s Director of Welfare, Simone Sear, commented: “Helping individuals struggling with addiction is a key part of the day-to-day work that we do here at Racing Welfare, as has been the case for many years. 

“We know that gambling addiction often does not exist in isolation, and that it may be linked to other challenges such as substance abuse and mental ill-health.

“Education has always been a part of our strategy to help racing’s people thrive and to prevent cases of hardship escalating to a point of crisis. 

“This partnership with EPIC signals our commitment to proactive and preventative action in the face of gambling addiction, as well as continuing to develop our support services to help those in the grip of an addiction.”

In sport, EPIC has also worked with Chelsea FC, Arsenal, Manchester City, the EFL, the Rugby Players’ Association (RPA) the Professional Cricketer’s Association (PCA) as well the NFLPA Professional Athletes Foundation and the NCAA in the US.