Coming up on a global scale

As we look ahead to 2026, EPIC’s future global intention remains simple and unequivocal: to equip every at-risk organization with the tools to prevent gambling harm, writes John Millington, EPIC’s director of commercial and strategic partnerships.

Focusing on how we’ll achieve that in specific markets, we have grown organically from origins as a UK-based company, and in our home territory, it remains a period of regulatory reform following the Gambling Act Review and 2023 White Paper. The measures resulting from implementing the recommendations of these reports will increase operator costs, but strengthen consumer trust and create demand for harm prevention expertise. We envisage opportunities in digital innovation, Gen Z engagement and corporate social responsibility in the UK.

We are already positioning ourselves as a thought leader in responsible gaming and harm prevention regarding the controlled opening of the United Arab Emirates market. Online gambling and sports betting are currently unregulated in the UAE, but would be the next logical steps for potential legalization following the first licences issued for lottery and casino resort operations in 2024. We are optimizing the packaging of products for compliance and regulatory readiness in these priority markets and beyond.

We also believe in positioning community education as part of operators’ social impact. Partnering with schools or NGOs enables the optimum opportunity for trusted delivery. Sports leagues continue to require tailored offerings, in which we will highlight integrity risks, duty of care, and social responsibility. Cobranded programs for sport provide compliance and reputational opportunities for operators that continue to partner with EPIC. Aligning with sport’s community outreach and youth development goals engenders long-term fan engagement, talent development, and positive brand association.

Collaboration with regulators and public health advocates to design scalable, policy-aligned youth programs is another priority for prevention and data-driven outcomes.

The global need for our services continues to grow as regulation evolves, and we are ready to lead the development of safe and sustainable gambling markets.

This feature originally appeared in EPIC’s Activity Report 2024/25 – click here to read the full report.