• The NFL has vowed to make another $600,000 over a three-year period to help advance critical research in protecting college students and athletes
• The donation is granted to the ICRG, which will seek to advance the industry’s understanding of these populations and how they interact with gambling
• The idea is to ensure that the specific populations are protected through prevention and education

The National Football League (NFL) has announced a new donation to the International Council on Responsible Gambling (ICRG) through the NFL Foundation. The donation of $600,000 will be forwarded to the organization to advance research on gambling behavior among college students and athletes, the organization said in an official press release.

NFL makes another donation to support critical research on gambling-related harm

The donation will be contributed over a period of three years, as the ICRG digs deeper into prevalence, risk factors, and impacts of gambling behaviors in the aforementioned groups. The money has been earmarked for this particular purpose following evidence that college athletes are at a particular risk of developing gambling problems.

Ultimately, new research backed by the grant money should go a long way in developing data-driven prevention strategies, education, and policies that could help reduce gambling-related harm.

NFL SVP of Social Responsibility Anna Isaacson has welcomed the opportunity to work more closely with the ICRG and help the organization achieve milestones in consumer protection.

"This initiative reflects our ongoing commitment to promoting responsible gambling and fostering a safe and supportive environment for athletes, fans, and communities," Isaacson explained.

She was joined by ICRG President Arthur Paikowsky, who was similarly confident that the new money would go a long way in advancing the organization’s mission, which is to help create the framework for better player and fan protection through critical research targeting young adults.

Education, prevention, and understanding the triggers

"The NFL and ICRG together will make a meaningful contribution to understanding and implementing policies and programs that support a safer gambling environment," Paikowsky noted.

The NFL is also funding the "Talking with Children About Gambling," which is designed as a program to help coaches, educators, and parents with the means necessary to help intervene and prevent youth gambling exposure in college.

There is a link between early life exposure to gambling and higher incidence of gambling spending and even addiction later in life, which is precisely what the NFL and ICRG hope to help prevent.

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