The collaboration will seek to help and intervene in cases of gambling harm or illicit betting among young players who may be exposed to various dangers associated with gambling but are not getting enough support to overcome those problems.
Minor League Baseball Getting the RG Resources It Needs
EPIC Global Solutions, which recently rebranded, will step forward and provide educational materials and responsible gambling and mental health seminars to help minor league players and other personnel that have been picked by the MLB to have the means to protect themselves against gambling harm and participating in unauthorized gambling contests.
Entain Foundation US will step up and provide financial support so that EPIC may carry out its sessions focusing entirely on the curriculum and ensuring that participants are receiving the best care and training possible.
MLB VP of Sports Betting & Compliance Quest Meeks said that EPIC’s program facilitates will drive a strong message home to players and help them educate and protect themselves against the growing threat of gambling. This is particularly important in the case of young players, Meeks said:
Our younger minor league players in particular are coming into the league at a time when mobile sports betting is an increasingly prominent part of the sports ecosystem. We want to help those players avoid gambling-related pitfalls that can derail not only their careers but also their day-to-day lives.
MLB VP of Sports Betting & Compliance Quest Meeks
EPIC and Entain Foundation US have been working hard to ensure that they protect players, athletes and staff across various organizations and sports leagues, helping them understand the problems of problem gambling on both a professional, collegiate, and minor level.
Protecting Players on All Levels Is the Priority
Commenting on this new opportunity, Entain Foundation US trustee and Entain SVP for American regulatory affairs and responsible gambling, Martin Lycka, had this to add:
“We must take a preventative approach to gambling harm, particularly those involved in sports, so educating the baseball community on responsible gambling practices is a critical measure”
In June, EPIC and Entain Foundation US partnered with the Major League Soccer Players Association. Efforts to safeguard players and student-athletes have been ongoing, with the NCAA turning to a new partner to ensure that it’s not just a matter of educating players on why they shouldn’t gamble or be aware of gambling harm.
The association, for example, doubled down on protecting its student-athletes from online abuse, which is another unintended consequence of the mass legalization of sports gambling in the United States.