Casino Guru Academy Launches Suicide Prevention Course

Casino Guru Academy has introduced a new Suicide Prevention Course, officially unveiled during the ICE Barcelona 2026 event, aimed at helping iGaming professionals handle situations involving suicide and self-harm risk among players.

The program focuses on one of the most difficult areas of player protection and responsible gambling. It is designed to support customer-facing staff with practical guidance on how to identify warning signals, communicate appropriately and manage high-risk interactions more safely and effectively.

The Academy, known for developing educational tools for the gambling sector, positions the new course as a contribution to wider responsible gambling and consumer protection efforts. It is currently offered free of charge and is tailored specifically for frontline industry roles.

The course was developed by Christina Theophilos, M.Ed., a specialist in education and consumer protection who has held senior responsible gaming roles and worked directly with online gambling operations. Her work centers on practical safeguards and real-world response strategies.

Commenting on the launch, Theophilos explained that while many regulated jurisdictions have player protection frameworks in place, training gaps remain especially as grey and unlicensed markets grow. She noted that although gambling platforms are not the root cause of suicidal behavior, uncontrolled gambling can worsen financial and emotional stress, making staff preparedness essential.

Following its presentation in the Sustainable Gambling Zone at ICE Barcelona 2026, the course quickly attracted industry attention, with dozens of early registrations recorded shortly after launch.

Šimon Vincze, Head of Sustainable & Safer Gambling at Casino Guru, said suicide prevention should be treated as a core part of player protection rather than a peripheral issue. He added that the Academy aims to make the training widely accessible and normalize preparedness across the sector.