Anti-pokies MP Andrew Wilkie says he will not accept any major changes to his reform agreement with the Federal Government.

His statement came just minutes after the Government gave the clearest signal yet that a compromise deal was the only way to get reforms through Parliament.

Community Services Minister Jenny Macklin told ABC News 24 this afternoon that the Government wanted to help problem gamblers "but we have to work with the Parliament that we have".

The Government has signed an agreement with Mr Wilkie to bring in mandatory pre-commitment technology and force club patrons to specify how much they were willing to lose on poker machines.

After nearly a week of intense speculation that the deal would fall through or be altered to instead involve $1 maximum bets or a trial, Mr Wilkie says he is still pushing for the original agreement to be implemented.

"It might be semantics about a compromise or an adjustment or whatever," he said. "But the fact is I would not accept any substantive change from the agreement that we have."

Mr Wilkie will meet the Prime Minister in Canberra tonight to continue discussions.

He says he will talk about the "reams of detail" involved and is open-minded about minor adjustments to the plan.

"But what I want to make absolutely clear, though, is that unless the Government embraces $1 bets then I will only accept mandatory pre-commitment and the legislation for that must be through both Houses of Parliament before the budget on May 8."

But Ms Macklin has indicated the deal will have to change in order to win enough crossbench votes.

"Mandatory pre-commitment technology is a useful form of technology... but we have to work with the Parliament that we have," Ms Macklin said.

"I can say to you very clearly, we will not be walking away from problem gamblers.

"We are committed to act to help problem gamblers but we have to act with the Parliament that we have."

Mr Wilkie has previously said he would be able to give a detailed statement on the progress of talks before the end of this week.

Earlier this week, independent Senator Nick Xenophon said the Prime Minister would lose all credibility if she backed down on the reform deal.