EPIC partners with Underdog to deepen culture of responsible gaming

Attendees of the initial sessions noted positive anecdotal outcomes.

EPIC Global Solutions announced a new partnership with Underdog to further the sports gaming operator’s investment in responsible gaming education through a series of training and workshops.

As part of the partnership, customer-facing Underdog employees participated in gaming harm awareness sessions and VIP relationships workshops presented by EPIC staff, increasing Underdog staff’s ability to recognize potentially problematic gaming behaviors in their customers.

The sessions were led by consultants who shared their own experience of how different forms of gaming proved problematic in their lives, including former NCAA and NBA point guard Stevin ‘Hedake’ Smith and former boxer Liz Thielen, and provided Underdog staff the chance to explore the human side of harm through a gaming-neutral lens.

EPIC’s VP North America Teresa Fiore noted: “We’re very pleased with the positive start to our working relationship with Underdog. They have a deep understanding that responsible gaming practices must be at the core for any major operator, and it’s a constant and consistent process of learning and attentiveness. It’s clear from the session feedback that the responsible gaming message we share – influenced by the lived experience of our team – is making a difference to Underdog’s staff in a way that will further enhance their communication and customer relationships in a positive way.”

The training and workshops promoted business sustainability and customer protection by exploring communication techniques and best practices to foster healthy customer relationships.

“Partnering with EPIC has reinforced the culture of responsible gaming that we are building at Underdog,” said Adam Warrington, Vice President of Responsible Gaming at Underdog. “We look forward to furthering the understanding of responsible gaming within Underdog and continuing to participate in training sessions and workshops to deepen our player protection knowledge.”

Attendees noted positive anecdotal outcomes, such as learning ‘the nuances of messaging’ and how to ‘dive deeper to get to the bottom of what messaging could be problematic’ and taking the message of ‘direct experiences to help understand how people are impacted’.