iGaming Industry Launches Free Suicide Prevention Training for Frontline Staff

A groundbreaking new educational resource has been launched to help iGaming professionals respond to one of the most sensitive challenges in the industry: suicide and self-harm threats from customers.

The Suicide Prevention Course, unveiled at ICE Barcelona 2026, is the first freely available training program specifically designed for customer-facing staff in the online gambling sector. It teaches participants to recognize warning signs, respond appropriately to crisis situations, and de-escalate potentially dangerous moments.

The course was developed by Christina Theophilos, an educational and consumer protection specialist with extensive experience in responsible gaming leadership. She highlighted a critical gap in the industry, noting that while strong player protection safeguards exist in most regulated markets, the rapid expansion of grey and illegal markets has created a global shortage of trained staff capable of handling suicide-related situations.

More than 50 industry professionals registered for the course within days of its launch at the Sustainable Gambling Zone at ICE Barcelona, signaling growing recognition that suicide prevention must be treated as a core component of responsible gambling operations rather than a marginal concern.

The initiative represents a significant step toward normalizing conversations about mental health within the gambling industry and ensuring that frontline staff are prepared to handle the most extreme situations they may encounter.