SPFL academy players developing safer gambling awareness with William Hill and EPIC sessions

Players and coaches from 17 SPFL academies improving awareness on safer engagement with gambling thanks to William Hill and EPIC Global Solutions programme.

Scotland’s brightest emerging football talents are being helped to make responsible decisions regarding their engagement with gambling, as an ongoing collaboration between the SPFL, William Hill and EPIC Global Solutions continues to impact players at the country’s top youth setups.

Over 350 academy players and coaches have engaged with the programme so far this season, with post-session evaluation statistics showing that 93% of attendees found the session ‘really impactful’, increasing their likelihood of making informed decisions regarding their future relationship with all forms of gambling.

The concept is presented to SPFL member clubs as part of William Hill’s title sponsorship of the competition, and is delivered over and above the organisation’s commitment to supporting the new UK-wide statutory levy from the proceeds of gambling. They enlisted EPIC Global Solutions to deliver the concept, thanks to their proven impact in making gambling safer and more sustainable, particularly in elite sport settings.

Using a ‘lived experience’ approach to explain the message, EPIC’s presentation team is led by former professional footballers who had their own experiences with disordered gambling. These include former Wales U21 forward Marc Williams, who presents the majority of sessions, and former Scotland, Liverpool and Leeds United defender Dominic Matteo.

Carolanne Gay, academy education executive at Rangers, believes that the concept has provided both welfare and performance benefits for the club’s young players, explaining:

“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.”

Similar sentiment was shared from the other side of Glasgow, with Erin Degg, player wellbeing officer at Celtic, commenting:

“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.”

Though the majority of sessions delivered to this point in the 2025/26 have been for academy age groups – principally U17 to U19 squads – the programme has also incorporated delivery to top-flight women’s teams, as well as engaging with SPFL Trust staff and attendees of their ‘Football Fans in Training’ fitness and mental wellbeing concept.

Per Widerström, CEO of evoke, the parent organisation of William Hill, said: “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.”