EPIC Risk Management has strengthened its partnership with Rangers FC, which will see the football club’s players and staff attend several educational sessions on gambling and how to facilitate a healthy relationship with the sector.
Continuing the focus of Rangers’ premier partner Kindred on safer gambling and social responsibility, it’s a collaboration that marks the first time that a Scottish Premiership club has engaged with a project on educating employees on gambling and will follow EPIC’s methodology which has been tried and tested with other football leagues such as the EFL.
Michelle Evans, EPIC’s Senior Sports Partnerships Manager, commented: “Education is at the heart of EPIC’s offering, underpinned by real-life experiences from those who have lived experience of gambling-related harm.
“We recognise the importance of the sector to the UK’s leisure industry, and we’re dedicated to providing a bespoke, holistic service that allows participants to share and discuss matters in a safe way.
“We’re delighted that Rangers are the latest high-profile football club to recognise the importance of protecting their players and staff through preventative education, adding to our work across several leading clubs and competitions in world football, rugby union, American football and the iconic NCAA college network in the US.”
Sessions will be attended by Rangers’ first men’s team, B-team and the women’s teams. They will involve insights delivered by former players who share their experiences with gambling-related issues and how they’ve managed to overcome them.
Karim Virani, Chief Commercial Officer at Rangers FC, said: “We realise the importance of safeguarding our players and staff, and allowing them to discuss issues relating to the sector in a welcoming and understanding environment. That the sessions are led by former players is a big advantage, going beyond discussing the rule book and adding that key element of relatability.
“We’re grateful to Kindred – with whom we have a positive, long-term relationship – for funding the sessions that are helping us lead the way in Scotland on this matter.”
The project will be funded by Rangers’ primary sponsor, Kindred Group, which has collaborated with the club for a decade. This year, Kindred and Rangers have committed to removing revenue generated from harmful gambling through their front-of-shirt campaign ‘Zero % Mission’.
Sam Mead, UK General Manager at Kindred Group, added: “Kindred wants to run a sustainable business built on people enjoying themselves safely. That’s why we have reaffirmed our commitment not only to this project with Rangers, but also to our ‘Journey towards Zero’.
“Added to that, we are investing significantly in our technology stack to further develop our sophisticated detection software. This, allied with a greater emphasis on education and safer gambling messaging, will help Kindred drive forward its industry-leading model of sponsorship that is benefitting clubs and their communities.”
