Flutter, EPIC Extend Safer Gambling Drive To FAI League
The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has confirmed that a safer gambling awareness programme run with Flutter Entertainment and EPIC Global Solutions will expand to all 15 founding clubs of the FAI National League by the end of 2026.
The three-year programme has already delivered more than 70 workshops and reached over 2,000 League of Ireland players and FAI staff since it launched in January.
Programme Expands To National League
The FAI announced the expansion on its own website, describing the League of Ireland rollout as a "huge success story" that will now extend into the newly launched third tier of Irish football, which began last month.
Interim FAI National Competitions Lead Garret Higgins said: "The impact of this programme across the League of Ireland has been a huge success story. So naturally, we’re incredibly grateful to see this extended to our new FAI National League teams."
Education specialists EPIC Global Solutions deliver the workshops, which are funded by Flutter, the parent company of Paddy Power and Betfair. Flutter also operates a range of Irish betting sites, all of which fall under the same group-wide Play Well safer gambling framework.
EPIC Chief Executive Officer Paul Buck said the League of Ireland partnership has proven "one of our most effective yet" across the range of sports the company works with globally.
Awareness Levels Rise Among Players
According to the FAI, results from the first phase of the programme show 89% of male and female participants are now confident they can recognise signs of harmful gambling behaviour and know how to approach conversations about it.
A separate measure found 94% of players reported strong awareness of FAI and UEFA integrity regulations after attending a session, up from 71% among men and 53% among women beforehand. Almost all participants, 98.5%, rated the overall quality of EPIC’s sessions 8 out of 10 or higher.
"When education comes from former players who’ve lived these experiences, it resonates," Buck said. "The expansion to FAI National League teams will amplify this impact across the entire pathway."
Part Of A Wider Safer Gambling Push
The Irish expansion is part of a wider increase in Flutter’s safer gambling spending. In its own 2025 Positive Impact Report, the NYSE-listed operator disclosed total responsible gaming investment of $158 million for the year, up $19m on 2024, as it works towards a target of 75% of active online customers using at least one Play Well tool by 2030. Flutter has also opened a dedicated Centre of Excellence for responsible gambling research in Leeds and extended funding for the Leeds Rhinos Foundation.
EPIC has run similar harm-prevention programmes with sporting bodies in other markets, but the FAI said the League of Ireland partnership is now moving into the academy and development pathway level, which it considers important for building healthy attitudes towards gambling among young players before they reach senior football.
The FAI has not said whether the programme will extend further into grassroots or schools football, but officials said the National League clubs' involvement builds on stronger engagement across the League of Ireland since January.
