Last year, Tasmanian independent MP Mr Wilkie backed Labor to form a minority government in return for a legislative clampdown on the use of texas hold'em poker set machines.

Sussan Ley is putting pressure on the government to put exemptions for smaller clubs into the laws that could result from the deal with the independent MP.

Ms Ley says some Members are talking about particular exemptions which look after their own electorate, when they should be looking at the nation as a whole.

"Clubs play a vital part in the fabric of small communities and if we start trying to say there's a threshold here and some clubs are exempt then it just becomes very difficult, even large clubs, I mean remember the larger the income that comes through that club, the more that club gives back to its local community."

Ms Ley is not the only one who is fighting the legislation.

Clubs Australia has declared "open warfare" on the Gillard government, preparing a $20 million media campaign to try to stop the laws which will limit how much punters can spend on poker machines.

Ms Ley says the only complete solution is to scrap the bill altogether, as exemptions would see some clubs still miss out.

She says the situation is absolutely critical for smaller clubs in regional areas.

"Often it's the key focus of the town where it is, there's nowhere else to go for a quiet drink, for a cheap cup of coffee or a bingo game set night, particularly for our older less mobile members of the community.

"Our clubs, no matter how big or small they are, really do have an important role to play and it's one that is under threat from this proposal."

Support for the legislation

Under Mr Wilkie's plan, a scheme known as "mandatory pre-commitment", gamblers would have to nominate a dollar figure for how much they are prepared to lose before they start gambling.

Mr Wilkie says the scheme would curb problem gambling and should be implemented.

"There's almost 100,000 Australians (who) have been identified as problem gamblers on poker machines.

"Between them they lose some 40 per cent of the total amount of money lost on poker machines and in this parliament, thanks to it being a hung parliament, we have an historic opportunity to do something about it."

Mr Wilkie has the support of South Australian independent Senator Nick Xenophon.

Senator Xenophon has called the campaign being run by Clubs Australia campaign a "joke".

"This industry is willing to spend $20 million of tax-break money that they get from community clubs - effectively taxpayers' monies, indirectly - to peddle lies in terms of a campaign where they haven't even seen what the final report will say".