GRAI welcomes launch of Gameplan to safeguard athletes and coaches from betting harm

The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) has welcomed the launch of the Gameplan initiative to combat gambling-related harm in sports. 

The Gameplan website offers tailored resources for athletes, coaches, mentors and wellbeing officers.

There is an interactive quiz that asks questions related to sports and responsible gambling, along with a self-assessment tool, budgeting tips and advice on how to stay in control while betting.

Anne Marie Caulfield, GRAI CEO, said: “The GRAI welcomes this initiative as a timely and necessary contribution to reducing gambling‑related harm within Irish sport. 

“Protecting the integrity of sport and safeguarding the wellbeing of athletes, particularly young people, are central aspects of the GRAI’s mandate. 

“Peer‑driven education, informed by lived experience, is a vital component in helping clubs and sporting organisations identify the warning signs of problem gambling and support members who need help with their gambling.”

In the US, several regulators and trade bodies run similar programmes for athletes and staff involved in sports clubs.

This is in response to the increasing number of athletes caught up in legal action involving illegal betting. 

The Gameplan initiative is supported by the Gambling Awareness Trust.

Caulfield continued: “The GRAI commends all partners involved in developing this programme; it is a valuable complement to the wider regulatory framework that will ensure a safer and more accountable gambling environment in Ireland.”

Earlier this year, the GRAI opened up betting licence applications, with three different licence types available on the regulator’s website.