EPIC Global Solutions have completed a hat-trick of wins at the prestigious SBC Awards North America, having been named as the event’s ‘Player Protection Service Provider of the Year’ for a third year in a row.

The globally-leading specialists in mitigating gambling-related harm were recognised once again at the New York ceremony, at an event that acknowledges excellence across all aspects of the gambling industry across North America.

EPIC provides a range of consultancy, education and training services around recognising signs of problem gambling to a range of sectors across the continent, with a particular focus on working with sports organisations, gambling operators and gambling industry regulators.

The company’s work in conjunction with the NCAA and Entain Foundation US – which has seen over 55,000 student-athletes and staff at more than 200 US college campuses educated on gambling-related harm in the past three years – was highlighted within the nomination for the award, and drew praise from EPIC’s CEO and founder Paul Buck, who explained:

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“There are now 38 states where sports gambling is legalised. Gambling is growing, so the level of harm that will come will also grow.

“Recognising player protection at events like this wasn’t happening five or ten years ago, but it’s becoming an increasingly bigger issue and we’re glad to be at the front of that and hope to remain that way for the next five years and beyond.

“We wouldn’t be able to do this without the lived experience facilitators who go out there and tell their stories day in, day out, all around the country in each of the 52 states that we work in.

“I’d also like to make some special mentions to the NCAA, who work with us massively on the front foot on a topic which is becoming bigger and bigger within the student-athlete population, and the Entain Foundation US, who have been there helping to fund programmes like ours for the past few years.”

Lived experience is at the heart of everything that EPIC does, with the lessons taken from the harm experienced earlier in life by around half of its current workforce being the driving force behind the company’s mission and the knowledge that informs the programmes it delivers.

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Therefore, Buck is incredibly proud of the team contribution that has once again been recognised via the award at SBC’s showpiece event in the US. He added:

“It’s always nice just to be here and spread our message and meet friends, clients and stakeholders, but to come away and win this award three times on the trot is fantastic.

“It just shows that the level of work we do and the impact that we’re having is growing and growing, year by year, which makes us even more proud to win it. I’m so incredibly proud, not just of the work we do, but of the people who work within EPIC.”