CLUBS Australia has offered its support for a trial of new poker machine technology in one state as independent Senator Nick Xenophon launched another stinging attack on the organisation.

Clubs Australia said it has written to the federal government offering its support for a trial of mandatory pre-commitment technology in one state or territory.



The group's chief executive Anthony Ball said it had met with Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs representatives and outlined the conditions upon which it would support a trial.



Mr Ball said despite claims by Tasmanian independent MP Andrew Wilkie, who is pushing for the change there was no evidence to suggest the technology would reduce problem gambling.



"The suggestion that clubs, hotels and casinos be told to spend three billion dollars on technology that has never been tested let alone proved reveals the complete stranglehold that Andrew Wilkie has on the federal government," Mr Ball said in a statement today.



"We have a farcical situation where Andrew Wilkie has made clear that the federal government must support his proposed legislation regardless of the findings of any trial."



The reforms would introduce a $250-a-day withdrawal limit from ATMs inside pokie venues to stop problem gamblers from accessing too much cash. But ATMs outside venues would not be subject to such restrictions.

A private strategy paper obtained exclusively by The Sunday Mailreveals that clubs are prepared to put ATMs on trailers, in carparks and in adjacent buildings to sidestep the restrictions.



Check out the Clubs Queensland media training workbook here.

In an embarrassing blunder, the clubs' briefing was placed on the Clubs Queensland website, where it was discovered by The Sunday Mail last week.

Crucially, the document also indicates clubs are publicly exaggerating the impact of planned mandatory pre-commitment measures, which will require gamblers to set limits before they play.

Clubs estimate they will lose 10 to 20 per cent of gaming machine revenue under the worst-case scenario - not 40 per cent as widely claimed - the briefing says.

Check out the Clubs Australia - Future Directions paper here.

There would be additional set-up and operating expenses and a 5 per cent drop in bar and food takings.

Anti-gambling campaigner Senator Nick Xenophon said the document was a "smoking gun" that showed clubs would continue to thrive.

"This is proof in black and white that the clubs have been misleading journalists, their members, politicians and the public - that's un-Australian," he said.

"Behind closed doors, they admit the drop will only be 10-20 per cent. The planned attempts to get around the proposed ATM restrictions are sick and cynical."

The Federal Government has said small country towns whose only ATM is at the local pub will be exempt from withdrawal restrictions.

The briefing was presented by Club Training Australia and its consultancy arm, Dickson-Wohlsen, at a Clubs Queensland seminar on July 19.

Clubs Queensland chief executive Doug Flockhart at first told The Sunday Mail conference presenters were commissioned for their expertise.

A subsequent statement sought to distance Clubs Queensland from the briefing and denied it was placed online by mistake: "All presenters provided their own perspective which was not commissioned by Clubs Queensland."

"Clubs Queensland is a fully transparent organisation and is comfortable with these documents being open to the public, including all media."

The ATM measures were simply "examples of what is currently offered on the market", Mr Flockhart said.

A spokeswoman said estimates of a 40 per cent cut in gaming machine revenues were based on a previous published report.

Club Training Australia's website says they are "key industry advisors" to Clubs Queensland and have prepared other major reports for the lobby group.

Their report says all levels of the industry would remain profitable under a "Wilkie heavy" version of reforms, in which the toughest measures are introduced.

The biggest clubs - with a maximum 280 machines - will still make $1 million-a-year profit, down from $1.8 million, the report says. Smaller venues, with 50 machines, will make $200,000-a-year profit, down from $300,000.

Clubs would lose 5-8 per cent of pokie revenue if reforms were watered down to a "Wilkie light" version, where pre-commitment was voluntary.

"Keep fighting the fight - we need the light version at the worse," reads the paper, Managing Regulatory Changes.

The Federal Government has until May to begin implementing pokie reforms it promised Independent MP Andrew Wilkie or face losing power.