With 20 online sports betting and brick-and-mortar sportsbooks currently to choose from in New Jersey, gambling education has become a huge priority for betting platforms to engage with their customer base.
Entain Foundation U.S. and EPIC Risk Management announced on Jan. 27 the launch of a player education initiative with U.S. colleges and universities on a series of gaming awareness sessions.
Two New Jersey schools — Seton Hall University (South Orange) and Monmouth University (West Long Branch) — have joined the initiative, which will be focused on education and awareness and the need to keep betting safe as sports wagering and gaming continues to expand in the U.S.
Neighbor Fordham University (The Bronx, New York) has also joined.
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“The Monmouth University Hawks are delighted to have EPIC Risk Management deliver their gambling awareness and sports betting integrity education sessions to our student athletes,” A.J. Schaufler, associate athletic director for compliance at Monmouth University, said in a news release. “This is a topic that we take very seriously here at Monmouth and indeed, these sessions are providing our students with an increased understanding of the risks of problematic gambling, and in particular, its close links to sports betting integrity breaches.
“Furthermore, they are now better aware of the support mechanisms that are available to them and have a deeper understanding and knowledge of this growing issue. We look forward to a long and successful partnership and would absolutely recommend this to all NCAA programs across the nation.”
There are more wagers placed monthly in New Jersey than any other state. In December, it had nearly $1 billion ($996.3 million) in total sports betting handle, a national record.
The hope is that the program will reach more than 40 educational institutions across the country, which also includes Mid-American Conference schools, Harvard University, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), University of Oregon, and University of Utah, according to the release.
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More on The Effort
The Entain Foundation U.S. is funded by Entain, the global sports betting and gaming entertainment operator which jointly owns BetMGM. EPIC and the foundation launched the partnership and program in March 2020, which is part of Entain’s pledge to invest $132 million over five years toward responsible gaming initiatives.
EPIC Risk Management and the foundation have launched collaborations with the National Football League Players’ Association Professional Athletes Foundation and USA Rugby, as well as the Division on Addiction at Cambridge Health Alliance, a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital. It is working with Entain on a five-year research study to better to understand problematic and addictive behaviors.
“We are delighted to be able to work closely with colleges around the nation on this essential education and awareness program. There is a collective responsibility to ensure the minimization of potential gambling harms, and the promotion of player safety,” John Millington, vice president of U.S. operations at EPIC Risk Management, said in the release. “Our collaboration with the Entain Foundation represents a key strategic piece of our prevention pillar, and it is great that so many organizations are recognizing the importance of education and awareness for this potentially high-risk population.”
