Growing Gambling Addiction

Xenophon hoses down compo for clubs Lisa Martin

Calls to compensate community clubs over planned poker machine reforms have been dismissed as a red herring.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has indicated she is open to discussing issues such as compensation for charities that might lose out under new poker machine rules.

"We are in discussions with the gaming industry and of course we're open to discussions with groups of all types," she told ABC Radio in Brisbane.

"We want to get this right. We want to get it right so that it works for everyone."

But independent senator Nick Xenophon says discussion about compensation for community groups is a "red herring."

"This debate should be about good public policy," Senator Xenophon told reporters in Canberra.

Under a deal struck with independent MP Andrew Wilkie, Labor wants pokie players to pre-set a gambling limit on how much they want to spend, in an effort to stem problem gambling.

The pre-commitment technology would only apply to high-intensity betting machines.

Mr Wilkie is also pushing for a reduction in high-intensity machines and wants clubs to reprogram machines to cap losses at $120 an hour rather than $1200 an hour.

Clubs are rallying against the changes, saying it will cost them too much.

Ms Gillard said the plan was not about stopping people who enjoyed a Friday night out at their local club.

"Probably too many Australians know someone who's wrecked their life because of poker machine addiction and probably they want to see a better way of dealing with that," she said.

"Well so do I and we'll work through to get the scheme right."

Senator Xenophon said people should consider the fact that 100,000 Australians already had problem gambling addictions and lose $21,000 a year each.

Senator Xenophon said 200,000 more were at risk of developing problem gambling habits.

"We didn't compensate clubs and hotels when we put in smoking bans," he said.

The senator is concerned about continued misinformation in the reform debate.

"You can't trust the pokie industry to properly represent research, they would look at the bible and say it's highly critical of Jesus," he said.