AAP
The Victorian government has been accused of being addicted to more than $1 billion of poker machine taxes after threatening High Court action against the federal plan to curb the amount spent on pokies.
Victoria will consider challenging the federal government over the planned introduction of mandatory pre-commitment technology on poker machines.
The Victorian government wants the technology to be used by pokie players on a voluntary basis.
Anti-gambling campaigner Tim Costello said voluntary limits had not worked anywhere in the world and the government was giving up a chance to help problem gamblers because it is addicted to revenue from pokies.
"They are addicted," Mr Costello said.
"They don't want to do the tough things like raising taxes, they want more problem gamblers. That's what the translation of their High Court challenge is.
"It's the Liberal government preying on the 40 per cent of pokies players who are addicted and have no choice."
In its budget earlier this month, the Victorian government predicted taxes from poker machines would deliver $1.031 billion to the state's coffers next financial year.
Chairman of the Inter-Church Gambling Taskforce, Mark Zirnsak, said Ted Baillieu's government had a lot to lose if the federal plan was introduced.
"Obviously, the state government does have a vested interest with their tax takes. That's stating the obvious," he said.
"But, I think some of it is pure politics, a Liberal state government versus a federal Labor government.
"I also suspect they have been lobbied very effectively by pubs and clubs who want to argue that this will turn ordinary patrons away."
Consumer Affairs Minister Michael O'Brien said the government had a mandate to introduce voluntary pre-commitment limits.
"If the federal government tries to derail Victoria's policy that we were elected on, that we have a mandate on, we will consider every option to ensure the integrity of our policy," he said on Thursday.
"That may include a High Court challenge.
"The Victorian government had a very clear policy that it took to the people at the last election.
"The choice to use that (pre-commitment) technology must be with the player."
Mr Zirnsak dismissed as ridiculous the suggestion the government was elected on the condition of its poker machine stance.
"I think their election of the government was on a much broader consideration," he said.
He said the Victorian alternative would prove ineffectual.
Mr Costello said the government had made a mockery of Responsible Gambling Awareness Week by threatening High Court action.
"They have the opportunity to help people be responsible by setting limits, but they want to disembowel it by making it voluntary which doesn't work and hasn't worked anywhere in the world," he said.
Opposition spokesman for gaming, Martin Pakula, called the Baillieu government stubborn and said it should debate the matter in "good faith".
The introduction of mandatory pre-commitment technology for poker machines across Australia was part of a federal government deal with independent MP Andrew Wilkie.
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