The comprehensive Onrise network will now be able to signpost to services that educate athletes and coaches on better gambling-related choices.

Onrise, the trusted mental health platform for athletes across the US, has agreed to a strategic partnership with leading harm prevention consultants EPIC Global Solutions to enhance gambling harm prevention services for athletes and coaches at professional and collegiate level.

Collaborating to deal with the growing issues connected to sports wagering and other forms of gambling, EPIC’s expertise – grounded in lived experience of gambling addiction – will support the 250+ peer support experts at Onrise by providing face-to-face or digital education options for sports organizations to promote awareness of safer relationships with gambling products.

The additional service will be made available to supplement the comprehensive Onrise network, which includes peer support from retired and certified athletes, licensed therapist, psychiatric care and sports performance, delivered through secure one-on-one sessions with flexible scheduling.

Kim Quigley, founder and CEO of Onrise, brokered the partnership after seeing evidence of EPIC’s delivery method, which currently includes education programs to NCAA student-athletes and staff as well as major league professionals.

“Student-athletes live in a time where gambling and sport intertwine in so many ways, with significant wagering interest in collegiate sport,” said Kim Quigley, MD, CEO of Onrise.

“This partnership with EPIC Global Solutions is about getting in early, before a bet becomes a burden they carry in silence. By pairing world-class gambling education with Onrise’s always-on, athlete-specific mental health care, we can spot risk sooner, intervene faster, and protect their health, future, and the team communities depending on them.”

Paul Buck, CEO of EPIC Global Solutions, added: “This strategic partnership has arisen because we both felt there was a real alignment of shared values between the two organizations. Gambling and sports wagering is growing fast in the US, not least in the sports and college sectors where we both operate.

“The two organizations are on a growth curve and will be stronger together for our clients and beneficiaries. We are both people centered and athlete focused, dedicated to doing good for mental health, wellbeing and performance.”

The partnership is announced as Problem Gambling Awareness Month begins in the US, running throughout March to raise wider understanding of how gambling issues can be identified and prevented.

EPIC Global Solutions has entered into a new partnership with Underdog to further the sports gaming operator’s investment in responsible gaming education through a series of training and workshops.

As part of the partnership, customer-facing Underdog employees participated in gaming harm awareness sessions and VIP relationships workshops presented by EPIC staff, increasing Underdog staff’s ability to recognize potentially problematic gaming behaviors in their customers.

The sessions were led by consultants who shared their own experience of how different forms of gaming proved problematic in their lives, including former NCAA and NBA point guard Stevin ‘Hedake’ Smith and former boxer Liz Thielen, and provided Underdog staff the chance to explore the human side of harm through a gaming-neutral lens.

EPIC’s VP North America Teresa Fiore said: “We’re very pleased with the positive start to our working relationship with Underdog. They have a deep understanding that responsible gaming practices must be at the core for any major operator, and it’s a constant and consistent process of learning and attentiveness.

“It’s clear from the session feedback that the responsible gaming message we share – influenced by the lived experience of our team – is making a difference to Underdog’s staff in a way that will further enhance their communication and customer relationships in a positive way.”

The training and workshops promoted business sustainability and customer protection by exploring communication techniques and best practices to foster healthy customer relationships.

“Partnering with EPIC has reinforced the culture of responsible gaming that we are building at Underdog. We look forward to furthering the understanding of responsible gaming within Underdog and continuing to participate in training sessions and workshops to deepen our player protection knowledge,” said Adam Warrington, Vice President of Responsible Gaming at Underdog.