Clubs and the gaming industry are gearing up for a major campaign against the Gillard Government and independent MP Andrew Wilkie over their plans for poker machine reform, likening their fight to the one the Rudd government had with the mining industry.

In return for his support on the floor of Parliament, Mr Wilkie won the Government's backing for the introduction of mandatory pre-commitment technology for all gamblers playing the pokies in clubs, pubs and casinos.

Mr Wilkie says the clubs are "peddling lies" and he is not worried about their plans to campaign against pre-commitment technology.

Clubs Australia, the peak body representing the country's 4,000 clubs, has likened the looming fight to the Rudd government's battle with the mining industry over the resources super profits tax.

Clubs Australia chief executive Anthony Ball says that as with the minerals tax, there has been a lack of consultation about the gambling reforms.

"What I do know is that there was a lack of consultation before a very big decision was made which would have serious knock-on effects for the mining community and if that's what happened with mining that is what has happened with clubs," Mr Ball said.

"We certainly weren't consulted about that deal and we saw it on Sky News when the press conference happened."

Mr Wilkie has made it clear he will walk away from supporting the Federal Government if Prime Minister Julia Gillard does not bring in mandatory pre-commitment technology - a system where every poker machine player will have to register using a card or some other technology to have their play tracked.

While the technology does not exist yet, Mr Wilkie is inviting Clubs NSW and Clubs Australia to devise a system together that will ensure every poker machine across the country is connected. This means a problem gambler could not go from one club to another and their spending limits would be capped.

But there is little sign of a rapprochement between the two, with Clubs Australia preparing for a major campaign next year. Staff in some clubs, such as Steelers in Wollongong, are already sporting badges and the clubs say all members across Australia will be contacted.

The clubs have appointed 10 delegates to shadow and lobby each federal MP, particularly Labor members in marginal seats.

"What I do know is that I have been talking to a lot of MPs and senators over the past few months and I think there is a level of disquiet about it," Mr Ball said. "They will handle the politics and yes, they do need Andrew Wilkie's vote.

"Everybody knows what the local club does; there is one in every suburb and certainly in every electorate. I think they have genuine concerns about this licence to gamble, this Australia-card solution. I think that the 10 million memberships around Australia will be worried about that."

The clubs' campaign strategy will intensify before the NSW state election in March and before the critical deadline Ms Gillard set for the states and territories to agree to implement the reforms.

Ms Gillard has warned the states that if they do not introduce mandatory pre-commitment technology by May 2011 she could move to force their hand. The clubs believe this could see the tax revenue from pokies flowing to the Federal Government away from the states.

Powerful opponent

Grahame Morris, a former adviser to prime minister John Howard and to the gaming industry, says the clubs have the ability to mobilise communities and resources.

Mr Morris, the federal director of Barton Deakin Government Relations, says the power of clubs in NSW is enormous and marginal seat MPs would be nervous.

"If I was Prime Minister Gillard, I would think twice about taking on the club industry; they can be a powerful opponent in marginal seats," he said.

"She could blow her government out of the water on this one community issue alone if she is not careful."

Mr Wilkie says the clubs are spreading misinformation as part of a scare campaign.

"There are some in the industry who have been at least mischievous; some have been downright dishonest; some members of the industry are peddling lies and they know it," he said.

"Claims such as there will be fingerprinting technology, that there will be a national database and some of the figures they are using, they are making them up and they know it.

"They are deliberately misleading the Australian community and I think that is reprehensible. My advice to the industry is that the decision has been made."

Mr Ball denies clubs are misleading people and says the only way to track players is to use biometric data.

"They might call it a biometric identification or some other tricky term if you like, but ultimately players have to be identified under this system and they need to have their play tracked," he said.

Mr Wilkie says the clubs are trying to galvanise support against the measures by scaring pensioners.

"Spreading this information as they are doing is increasing the heartache unnecessarily," he said.

"For example, the claim pensioners are going to lose their pensions because the system will track their winnings - that is a downright lie. They don't need to lie. They need to work with us and come up with a better system."

Unprecedented reform

Mr Wilkie says he is "remarkably unworried about the pressure the industry is bringing to bear".

"What the industry needs to understand is that they are lobbying the MPs as though we are having a discussion of whether there will be or won't there be poker machine reform. The decision has been made," he said.

"There will be unprecedented reform on poker machines and problem gambling in Australia. They can lobby all the politicians until the cows come home but it won't mean anything because the decision has been made."

Chris Hart, a supervisor at the Steelers Club in Wollongong, says he is wearing a badge opposing the changes because he believes they could cost him his job.

"I am wearing this badge because it is part of a campaign against the mandatory pre-commitment changes and it involves a customer having to scan their thumb on a machine so they commit an amount of money and once they reach that limit they can't do it anywhere else in Australia," Mr Hart said. "I really think it will have a devastating effect on clubs like this."

Emma Sumner also works at the Steelers Club. She says mandatory pre-commitment will not work and the club could close down if it is forced to implement the new technology.

"It isn't a good idea because we will lose about 40 per cent of our revenue and it means we can't support out local team, the Illawarra Dragons," she said.

Ms Sumner admits that she sees problem gamblers in the club but does not believe anyone can intervene.

"When you work in this industry you do see people and you think how much money have they put in today, but then again it is really none of our business ... it is their sort of business."

Clubs say they are happy to support pre-commitment reforms as long as they are voluntary and they are calling on Ms Gillard to meet them to discuss the issue.

The ABC News Online Investigations unit is working on a special report on problem gambling in Australia. If you have a personal story to share, get in touch.