Introducing the EPIC Risk Management Pro Sport Advisory Board
EPIC Risk Management is proud to unveil its first-ever EPIC Pro Sport Advisory Board. The nine-person board includes a blend of people drawn from the sporting ecosystem that EPIC Risk Management believes can play a significant role in minimising gaming and gambling harm in elite sport. This original board will be added to by different sports and stakeholders in different countries in the coming weeks and months.
The main purpose of the EPIC Pro Sport Advisory Board is to use the respective board member’s expertise across gambling, gaming, eSports, integrity, athlete welfare and lived experience to guide EPIC’s wider strategic goals and objectives in elite sport. The board will also provide recommendations to reduce harm and protect players from gaming and gambling harms.
In EPIC’s work in elite sports, they make athletes aware of the potentially destructive financial, health and performance implications that out-of-control gaming and gambling can cause. EPIC’s work enables athletes to make better-informed decisions, reducing distraction and maximising performance whilst also evaluating their own – and their teammates’ – relationship with gambling. This board will also help to guide policy and strategy of sports around the world to ensure that players, clubs and communities are protected from harms.
“We are extremely proud to announce such a diverse and wide-ranging advisory board,” said EPIC Risk Management’s CEO and founder, Paul Buck. “All members are experts and well-respected in their field of expertise, and we feel their knowledge and personal experiences will make a valuable contribution to this board. In turn, we’re delighted to provide members of the board the opportunity to guide our harm minimisation programmes across elite sport which will ultimately protect athletes in their careers from gaming and gambling harm and promote and advocate the importance of awareness and education across these areas. EPIC firmly believe in collaboration as the way to solve problems and that is why we are including members from different parts of the ecosystem. We invite and already have interest from different sports in different countries and we hope the board will grow to be a global thought leader in gaming and gambling harm prevention.”
The board will aim to meet a minimum of twice a year, and will include the initial following members:
• Mads Øland, Former CEO and Advisor of Counter-Strike Professional Players’ Association (CSPPA) and Board member of FIFPRO, the international players’ association, where the national players’ associations are members.
• Cam Adair, International speaker and entrepreneur, leading expert on video game addiction.
• Caryl Banks, Manager of the NFLPA’s Professional Athletes Foundation, the charitable arm of the NFL Players Association, offers a range of career, health, and educational resources as well as assistance through the Players Assistance Trust Fund (PAT).
• Steve Emberson, Betting Integrity Manager at Genius Sports.
• Nick Denning, Personal Development Manager at The Professional Cricketers Association (PCA) and independent wellbeing and performance consultant.
• Michelle Evans, Head of Communications and Wellbeing at PFA Scotland.
• Jack Francis, Head of Academy Player Care at Chelsea FC.
• Adam Brickell, Director of Public Affairs for Flutter UK&I. One of Flutter’s brands, has been the title partner of the English Football League (EFL) for the past eight years. Previously Director of Integrity, Legal & Risk for the British Horseracing Authority.
• Marcus Horan, Player Development Manager for Rugby Players Ireland and former Irish international forward.
EPIC Risk Management is a globally leading independent gambling harm minimisation consultancy. Working across the highest risk sectors for gambling-related harm, EPIC has worked in 23 countries on ground-breaking harm minimisation programs, sector leading gambling operator training, and class-leading advisory. EPIC draws on lived experience to help individuals and organisations across financial services, elite sport, the military, criminal justice, education, and the gambling industry to minimise the risks posed by gambling harm.
EPIC has also worked with the likes of Chelsea FC, Manchester City FC, English Football League (EFL), Belgian Pro League, the Rugby Players’ Association (RPA), the Rugby Football League (RFL), Rugby Players Ireland, Chicago Fire FC, New South Wales Cricket and the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA).
