The League of Ireland, which runs the Republic of Ireland’s domestic football championship, has announced a unified education programme aimed at preventing gambling-related harm. The programme is expected to begin in late January 2026 and will reach more than 2,000 people each year.
Details of the education programme
Less than a year ago, Ireland launched its new gambling regulator, the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI), established to protect the public from risks associated with gambling. The League of Ireland says its education initiative pursues a similar goal: ensuring everyone in the football ecosystem understands gambling risks, knows the relevant rules, and recognises responsibility not only for their own conduct, but also for the welfare of colleagues across the sport.
According to the League, training will be delivered at clubs’ training grounds by EPIC Global Solutions, an international education provider that works with sports organisations on gambling harm prevention and competition integrity education. The League adds that the programme is supported by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), the National League Committee, and the Professional Footballers’ Association of Ireland (PFA Ireland).
The scale is set out in numbers. Each year, organisers plan 70 in-person sessions: 32 workshops for men’s and women’s teams, 26 for under-17 academy groups, 10 for the women’s development league, plus one session each for match officials and FAI staff. The League also notes that, in parallel, participants will receive integrity training aligned with UEFA standards and approved by the Football Association of Ireland.
What it means for the betting sector
The League of Ireland’s move matters for the wider market because harm prevention and integrity education are being implemented as a single programme across clubs, academies and officials, rather than remaining a patchwork of individual club initiatives.
One of the programme’s funding partners is Flutter Entertainment, an international group operating in betting and online gaming. Flutter CEO Kevin Harrington has said the company views supporting the initiative as part of its responsibility to protect customers and safeguard the integrity of sport.
Another important factor is the scale of betting around matches. Ireland’s public broadcaster RTÉ reports that more than €5m is wagered on each Premier Division match. In such a high-volume environment, any integrity breach quickly becomes a problem not only for the league, but also for sponsors, media partners and operators, increasing the cost of mistakes, reputational risk and the likelihood of tough disciplinary outcomes.
Precedents and the social context
A defining feature of the programme is the use of former professional athletes who speak about gambling risks from personal experience. The release names former footballers Marc Williams, Scott Davies and Dominic Matteo among those involved.
Ireland has also seen betting-related disciplinary cases in practice. For instance, in December 2024, the Football Association of Ireland issued a six-month suspension to player Ryan Rainey for placing bets on football matches. Rainey later said he recognised his gambling addiction and was genuinely remorseful about the incident.
Organisers hope that in-person sessions featuring people who have experienced addiction and financial harm will function not only as prevention but also help reduce stigma around the topic. The announcement points to experience in English football: a similar programme launched in 2017 remains in place and, according to organisers, has already reached more than 10,000 participants.
This article was first published in Russian on 26 January 2026.
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