Scotland’s most promising young footballers are being supported in making informed, responsible choices around gambling, as a continued collaboration between the Scottish Professional Football League, William Hill, and EPIC Global Solutions delivers meaningful impact across the country’s leading academies.

So far this season, more than 350 academy players and coaches have taken part in the programme. Post-session feedback highlights its effectiveness, with 93% of attendees describing the sessions as “really impactful,” and noting an increased likelihood of making informed decisions about their relationship with gambling.

The initiative is offered to SPFL member clubs as part of William Hill’s title sponsorship of the league and sits alongside the company’s support for the UK-wide statutory levy funded by gambling revenues. EPIC Global Solutions was brought in to deliver the programme, leveraging its expertise in promoting safer gambling practices, particularly within elite sporting environments.

A key feature of the sessions is EPIC’s “lived experience” approach, with presentations led by former professional footballers who have faced their own challenges with disordered gambling. These include former Wales U21 forward Marc Williams, who leads most sessions, and former Scotland international defender Dominic Matteo, known for his time at Liverpool and Leeds United.

Carolanne Gay, academy education executive at Rangers F.C., emphasised the programme’s value for both player welfare and performance:

“We welcomed these sessions from EPIC as a valuable part of our ongoing commitment to player care and wellbeing, seeing them as a key opportunity to ensure that young players who are new to gambling are aware of both the integrity issues involved, and the need for safe engagement with any forms of betting.

“The delivery method, from a former professional player, was a welcome peer-to-peer style that was relatable to our squads and has helped to provide a real-world example of why this education and advice exists. It helps to provide confidence that young players have the knowledge on how to avoid off-field distractions and can focus on their performance and professional growth.”

A similar view was shared across the city by Erin Degg, player wellbeing officer at Celtic F.C.:

“We recognised the importance for our squads to have this educational input and felt EPIC were best placed to deliver this. The main reason being that Marc, the facilitator, is an ex-professional footballer and was able to share his own unique story which brought relevance and relatability to our players.

“Players were overwhelmingly positive after taking part in the workshop, finding the content delivered by Marc very engaging and thought provoking.”

While most sessions during the 2025/26 season have focused on academy age groups — particularly U17 to U19 squads — the programme has also been extended to top-flight women’s teams, as well as staff and participants involved in SPFL Trust initiatives such as “Football Fans in Training,” which promotes fitness and mental wellbeing.

Per Widerström, CEO of evoke, the parent company of William Hill, added:

“We are proud of our partnership with the SPFL and EPIC Global Solutions, and the latest expansion of the programme to academies as a central part of our league sponsorship.

“Equipping young players with the knowledge and confidence to engage with gambling responsibly is essential. The strength of the post-session feedback demonstrates the real impact this education is having, and we remain committed to building on that progress in the season ahead.”

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Nina Drama has set poker fans buzzing after a viral video breaking down the basics of the game captured widespread attention online.

The UFC content creator and model — whose real name is Nina Marie Daniele — shared a tongue-in-cheek clip explaining the fundamentals of Texas Hold’em on behalf of Stake, one of the world’s largest online sports and casino brands.

Posted with the caption “rate my poker outfit,” the innuendo-filled video quickly gained momentum, amassing more than four million views across X and Instagram.

Viewers were quick to recognise the inspiration, drawing comparisons to Kylie Jenner’s recent Vanity Fair video released the week prior, with Stake encouraging audiences to weigh in on who did it better.

The lighthearted tutorial resonated strongly with both poker enthusiasts and Nina’s fanbase, many of whom praised her comedic approach to introducing the game to newcomers.

Nina has built a substantial online presence through her coverage of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where her interviews and social content frequently go viral. She now commands millions of followers across platforms including Instagram, X, and TikTok.

The campaign forms part of Stake’s broader strategy of collaborating with top creators and sports personalities to produce social-first content for its global audience of sports and gaming fans.

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Genius Sports has unveiled a new multi-year partnership focused on integrity, technology, and AI with the Pac-12 Conference (“Pac-12”) to enhance the future of legitimate and responsible sports wagering, integrity, fan interaction and revenue generation, as well as performance evaluation in collegiate athletics.

The collaboration strengthens Genius Sports’ position as the backbone of contemporary sports. Under the terms of the agreement, Genius Sports will implement GeniusIQ, its data and AI platform, at all venues for Pac-12 football and men’s and women’s basketball events – establishing a unified, smart framework for data tracking, video capture, real-time analysis, and commercial engagement.

Genius Sports and Pac-12 will work together on various innovations aimed at protecting integrity, enhancing the fan experience, and creating new revenue opportunities.

Permitted wagering and integrity protections

Genius Sports will act as the sole distributor of official data from Pac-12 events to authorized sportsbooks globally. In this position, the firm will implement a new Authorized Gaming Operator (“AGO”) initiative aimed at ensuring the integrity of Pac-12 events and safeguarding student-athletes.

Alongside removing negative and high-risk bet types, the AGO program will enhance transparency, information exchange, and collaboration among the Pac-12, Genius Sports, and authorized sportsbooks, while stopping prohibited bettors from making bets; all aimed at addressing the risk of corruption linked to betting and safeguarding student-athletes.

A fresh age of marketing focused on moments

Genius Sports’ Moment Engine allows brands to launch advertising in real-time during critical moments in Pac-12 games across broadcast, streaming, and digital platforms, turning live sports data into actionable advertising chances.

For Pac-12 advertisers, this opens up the chance to engage with significant Pac-12 moments that are crucial, immediately, with enhanced accuracy and on a larger scale.

Enhanced performance insights

The collaboration will also aid Pac-12 schools by providing the most cutting-edge performance analysis available worldwide.

Programs will utilize the GeniusIQ-enabled Performance Studio platform, offering coaches and athletes advanced analytics and video tools employed by most NBA and WNBA teams.

“College sports are entering a new era where official data and real-time intelligence power everything from integrity and betting and media to performance,” said Mark Locke, CEO at Genius Sports. “By deploying GeniusIQ across Pac-12 venues, we are building the data infrastructure that connects leagues, sportsbooks, broadcasters and advertisers in real-time.”

“The Pac-12 is thrilled to announce this partnership which will allow a college sports conference, for the first time, to impose direct and meaningful integrity restrictions on sports books who receive and use Pac-12 data,” said Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould. “This partnership positions the Pac-12 as an early-mover in the data rights space, connecting to our strategic vision and challenger mindset to push boundaries in a disciplined fashion while introducing new opportunities for brand elevation and revenue growth.”

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