No backing for poker machine reform

The federal government has rejected a fresh call for action to tackle problem gambling.

Independent MP Andrew Wilkie is seeking a debate on his private member's bill to put in place gaming machine mandatory pre-commitment and a $1 bet limit.

Mandatory pre-commitment requires a player to set binding limits on losses and the time they want to spend playing before using such a machine.

Mr Wilkie asked Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in parliament on Wednesday whether the government would at least allow debate on the changes to tackle the "parasites" in the pokies industry.

Mr Turnbull said the government was working with industry and state and territory governments on practical solutions to reduce problem gambling.

Adding to the answer, Human Services Minister Alan Tudge told parliament the government did not support mandatory pre-commitment because "in essence it requires a licence to gamble".

"We know that most people indeed do gamble responsible and don't need to register themselves necessarily to put a couple of dollars in the machine," Mr Tudge said.

Most poker machines were technically incapable of introducing $1 bets and it would cost $1.5 billion to implement.

However the government was putting money into financial counsellors and gambling research and would be responding to the issue of online gambling soon.