Sports gambling is coming to the U.S. and the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) is doing its part to make it a viable, safe industry. It is launching an initiative that will not only promote sports gambling education within the league, but will also foster a better overall understanding of the industry across the entire U.S. The program has been developed through collaborative efforts between the union and several problem gambling advocacy groups, and could even help raise sports gambling awareness to the point that opponents are left on the sidelines. 

The Professional Athletes Foundation (PAF), a union-founded entity that gives former NFL players financial assistance and counseling, announced yesterday a two-year agreement with GVC Foundation U.S. and EPIC Risk Management that will lead to the creation of both in-person and virtual sports gambling education programs for members of the NFLPA. The collaboration will also proactively market and oversee the programs once they go live. GVC and EPIC will be responsible for the creation of the content, and the PAF, as well as the NFLPA as a whole, will provide the management of the advertising, marketing and delivery of the programs to union members. 

Explains Andre Collins, the executive director of the PAF, “This is the first program that the NFLPA/PAF has ever run on problem gambling education and awareness. As the first major professional sports league in the U.S. to undertake this project, we’re proud to tackle this issue head-on. We urge all sports leagues to address problem gambling with the seriousness it deserves.”

GVC Foundation U.S. is a responsible gambling entity that was founded by gaming operator GVC Holdings. It has already been involved in numerous programs designed to help mitigate concerns over problem gambling, including an initiative that involves Cambridge Health Alliance, a teaching hospital belonging to Harvard Medical School, as well as another involving the University of Nevada Las Vegas and the International Gaming Institute.