Flutter and EPIC Global Solutions Extend Safer Gambling Programme to FAI National League
TL;DR — Flutter Entertainment and EPIC Global Solutions are extending their FAI National League safer gambling programme to cover 15 clubs by end-2026. It has delivered over 70 workshops, reached more than 2,000 players and staff, and achieved 89% awareness confidence. The move rests on Flutter’s $139m global investment in EPIC, with $75m allocated to UK and Ireland efforts.
SCCG Take — Targeted peer education in sports leagues produces documented knowledge gains and supplies operators with concrete data for refining harm prevention. Regulators and clubs will watch whether the 89% confidence level sustains as the third-tier National League rolls out.
Flutter Entertainment and EPIC Global Solutions have committed to extending their safer gambling programme with the FAI National League. The programme has already reached over 2,000 League of Ireland players and FAI staff since January. Over 70 EPIC-led workshops have been delivered.
Ireland’s National League is the third tier in the football pyramid and commenced last month. It will incorporate the 15 founding National League clubs by the end of 2026. League of Ireland officials say the programme supplies clear insights for targeted support messaging and harm prevention strategies.
Garret Higgins, Interim FAI National Competitions Lead, 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.”
Flutter’s Investment Scale and Related Initiatives
The extension follows Flutter Entertainment’s $139m (£102m) commitment to EPIC’s safer gambling capabilities globally. Some $75m of that sum was invested directly in the UK and Ireland. The NYSE-listed owner of Paddy Power, Betfair and Sky Bet has also launched a Centre of Excellence in Leeds for responsible gambling work.
Last month Flutter increased its annual funding to the Leeds Rhinos Foundation from £25,000 to £36,000. The company has worked with EPIC for a number of years. This latest step in Ireland forms part of that ongoing relationship, as reported by SBC News.
Programme Outcomes and Next Steps
Paul Buck, Chief Executive Officer of EPIC, commented: “We have delivered similar programmes across a wide range of sports globally, but our partnership with the League of Ireland has proven to be one of our most effective yet. The number of players who are now confident in their knowledge around gambling awareness has reached 89%. That validates everything we’ve built this programme around. When education comes from former players who’ve lived these experiences, it resonates. The expansion to FAI National League teams will amplify this impact across the entire pathway.”
The reported results show measurable uptake in player knowledge. Higgins and Buck both tie the outcomes to practical delivery by individuals with direct experience. Further integration into the National League pathway will test whether those results hold across the full competition structure.
Reporting: SBC News
Generated by SCCG’s automated editorial system from published source reporting. SCCG Management holds editorial responsibility.
Peer education scales down the pyramid when operators fund measurement; regulators will track whether confidence scores hold at tier three.
We track how operators convert responsible gambling spend into documented behaviour change. Flutter's $139m EPIC investment now reaches 15 National League clubs by 2026, proving tier-three football can deliver measurable harm prevention—regulators and licensing authorities will benchmark these outcomes as sport-book partnerships deepen across Europe.
- 70+ workshops reached 2,000+ League of Ireland players; 89% now confident in gambling awareness
- Flutter's $139m EPIC commitment allocates $75m to UK and Ireland programmes
- Extension covers all 15 FAI National League (third-tier) clubs by end-2026
SCCG angle: SCCG connects operators to evidence-based harm prevention vendors and sports properties across every regulated market. When a partner needs to demonstrate measurable safer gambling outcomes to regulators or wants to structure peer-education sponsorships that survive scrutiny, we broker the introductions and architect the commercial model—because we know who delivers results and who talks.
Gaming, betting and prediction markets — the desk’s read, every weekday.
Subscribe →