Pro Sport Advisory Board North America unveiled to combat gambling issues in sport
A new body of industry experts has been formed to face up to the collective issue of gambling-related harm in elite sport: the Pro Sport Advisory Board North America.
Initially comprising seven experts from the world of elite sport – including specialist knowledge on performance, wellbeing, learning and mental health – the new group has been put together by EPIC Global Solutions to help identify solutions to the challenges posed to pro sports by wagering and other forms of gambling in the unique North American sporting landscape.
The panel of experts will meet regularly to discuss growing challenges faced by sports organizations and best practice methods for protecting players, staff and fans from any of the risks stemming from sports wagering now being firmly embedded within leagues and venues.
The Pro Sport Advisory Board North America (PSAB NA) will sit alongside the existing Pro Sport Advisory Board that was formed by EPIC in 2022 and most notably released a white paper into gambling harm prevention in global sport in February 2023. That initial group, which continues to look at broader worldwide issues, will run concurrent to the new North American-focused board, and will be referred to as the ‘Foundation Group’ when any separation of activities between the two boards needs to be noted.
The members of the new collective were selected based on three key criteria: diverse experience across different levels and types of sport; being a high character individual that cared about the issue; and having high reflective characteristics to be able to utilize their own wisdom and experience and make a key contribution to the board’s discussions and outcomes.
One member of the existing Pro Sport Advisory Board will transfer over to the new Pro Sport Advisory Board North America, with the NCAA’s Clint Hangebrauck moving over to become part of the new collective. The board in full will comprise:
- Dr Jeremy Bettle, world-renowned expert in human performance and vitality, formerly of Toronto Maple Leafs and City Football Group/NYCFC
- Justin Bokmeyer, Director of Basketball Operations, Brooklyn Nets
- Michel Chikwanine, Performance Lifestyle Manager, NBA Global Academy Africa
- Clint Hangebrauck, Managing Director of Enterprise Risk Management, NCAA
- Dr Gloria Park, Director, Performance Psychology, Henry M. Jackson Foundation for US Advancement of Military Medicine
- Dr Samantha Sanderson Brown, Assistant Medical Director for Player Wellness, MLS Players Association
- Brian Selman, leadership and learning development expert, formerly of Pittsburgh Pirates
“Our intention is for the Pro Sport Advisory Board North America to be a group of professionals that have come together to have conversations that matter around gambling harm, integrity and player protection from a human-centered lens,” said Dr Meg Popovic, head of delivery North America for EPIC Global Solutions, who will be leading the coordination of the new board.
“At EPIC, we know that lived experience is foundational to everything that we do, so not only it is a methodology, it’s a practice.
“We wanted to invite prospective board members with lived experience of working, playing, training and leading sport in North America to help us grow the impact of this concept.”
One of the founder members of the PSAB NA is Brian Selman, a leadership and learning development expert with 14 years of applied experience with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization and private consulting, having previously been a three-year starter for University of Alabama football, including the 2009 SEC and National Championship team
“Joining the Pro Sport Advisory Board allows me an opportunity to support greater awareness of challenges associated with athlete identity, while building relationships to help better develop both wisdom and applied systems to proactively serve our athletes,” he explained.
“Athlete identity is complex, nuanced, and pernicious if not understood and thoughtfully approached. Unfortunately, most institutions and professional sports organizations fail to understand the harsh realities of athlete identity, leaving our athletes exposed to the hangover of what becomes a highly transactional experience.
“As athletes grieve in their transition from athletics, research clearly demonstrates a heightened vulnerability to risky behavior including problematic gambling.”
