Western Australian Council of Social Service (WACOSS) presents a free webinar on the rise of online gambling and gaming, the impacts on individuals, families, and communities; and current and future approaches to supporting early action and addressing harmful online use.

Speaking on gaming addiction, disorder and care will be WA’s 2026 Australian of the Year, Dr Daniela Vecchio, Head of Mental Health and Addiction Services at Fiona Stanley Hospital. In 2022, Daniela set up the first publicly funded gaming disorder clinic in Australia.

Daniela will be joined by Dr Quentin Beresford, a political scientist and acclaimed author of Hooked – Inside the Murky World of Australia’s Gambling Industry.

The webinar will also launch the Reducing Gambling Related Harm in WA Scoping Study, highlighting key findings and opportunities to respond more effectively to gambling harm in WA.

Register for free here.

Auspire is proud to be a Strategic Partner with WACOSS.

Dr Daniela Vecchio

Dr Daniela Vecchio is head of mental health and addiction services at Fiona Stanley Hospital. She is the pioneer in establishing the first publicly funded gaming disorder clinic in Australia in 2022.

She has seen increasing numbers of young people with addiction to video games and social media and was quick to recognise the distress and harms caused to them and their families. The clinic is unique worldwide, in providing early detection and intervention in an acute hospital setting. 

Daniela has driven the development of holistic assessments and a wide range of personalised treatments for her clients. She has fostered extensive collaborations, including internationally with Korea, Germany and Dubai, nationally with experts in the field, and locally with health, education and police services. 

As a director of the Australian Gaming and Screens Alliance, she is promoting education and research into harmful online use and influencing national policy.