Under the partnership, Epic will provide awareness, education, and risk management programs to members of the CSPPA.
The organizations will also collaborate on research projects related to gambling awareness in the world of competitive esports.
“We’re thrilled to announce this groundbreaking agreement,” said Epic CEO Paul Buck. “The CSPPA deserves praise for taking a leadership role in addressing the risks of gambling harm in esports. We’re extremely excited to launch this first-of-its-kind agreement with an esports player association.
At Epic, we have a proven track record of working with athletes to educate them about the potential financial and health consequences of uncontrolled gambling. Our work focuses on harmful products and practices, enabling athletes to make informed decisions and reducing distractions. We also educate them on betting integrity issues and the potential problems associated with uncontrolled gambling.”
Buck emphasized that the significant growth of esports betting means that a larger number of people, including esports players, fans, audiences, and commercial entities, may now be at risk of problem gambling. Therefore, it is crucial to educate those involved in esports about responsible gambling.
“The rise of gambling in esports and the expansion of this sector indicate that a broad demographic, including esports players themselves, their fans, audiences, and commercial entities, may be susceptible to problem gambling,” Buck explained. “In our discussions with the CSPPA, we have been made aware of potential issues related to gambling addictions in professional CS:GO. This partnership allows CSPPA to collaborate with Epic to raise awareness of these issues and assist its members with any gambling-related problems, considering the convergence between esports gaming and gambling.”
This agreement follows the announcement by online betting and gaming giant Entain of its expanded partnership with Epic and the formation of a new partnership with the CSPPA. This initiative aims to extend responsible gambling measures to video gaming and esports.
Epic has also taken steps towards expanding their program into esports by hiring Jonathan Peniket as an esports and online gaming consultant.
CSPPA CEO Mads Øland stated, “The CSPPA recognizes that elite athletes, including CSPPA Members, are potentially more vulnerable to gambling addiction and betting integrity issues. The CSPPA is dedicated to protecting its members from the potential harms of gambling addiction, which not only affects individuals financially and mentally but also exposes players to further abuse regarding betting integrity and match-fixing. We are delighted to work with Epic in a multi-year collaboration as they are globally recognized as the leading organization in gambling awareness and have successfully implemented programs in many mainstream traditional sports at an elite level.”
