We recently delivered gambling harm prevention workshops at Loughborough Sport, supporting elite athletes across both the female football and rugby programmes.

The work began with Loughborough Lightning, who compete in the Premiership Women's Rugby and play their home fixtures at the iconic Franklin's Gardens.

The session explored the evolving relationship between UK sport and the gambling industry, with a particular focus on how gambling advertising and marketing are experienced by young, high-performing athletes. We examined how constant exposure can shape attitudes, influence decision-making, and normalise risk—especially within elite sporting environments where pressure, reward, and identity are closely linked.

Rather than telling athletes what to think, the session created space to question norms, recognise early indicators of harm, and better understand how gambling-related risk can show up differently within competitive sport.