Coalition offers Andrew Wilkie deal on pokies

The as-yet confidential offer, which also included upgrades to Hobart Hospital, was made after the Denison MP and the Opposition Leader met for the second time in two days.

Mr Wilkie would not reveal details of the Coalition offer but told The Australian it focused heavily on his call for poker machine reform and improvements to Hobart's hospital.

The former intelligence analyst presented Mr Abbott and Julia Gillard with a 20-point list of priorities on Monday, including $565 million for a redeveloped Royal Hobart Hospital, a conscience vote in parliament on same-sex marriage and an overhaul of poker machine gambling.

Mr Wilkie said yesterday an offer made to him by the Prime Minister was "unsatisfactory", as it did not meet all of his "non-negotiable" requests.

A spokesman for Mr Abbott said last night that Mr Wilkie and Mr Abbott had discussed gaming reform during their meeting on Monday.

"It's likely to be part of further discussions," the spokesman said.

He also noted that Mr Abbott had agreed to consider closely the outcomes of the Productivity Commission inquiry into gambling released earlier this year.

Mr Wilkie and South Australian independent senator Nick Xenophon last week united to push for changes to federal legislation that would limit poker machines to a $1 bet limit or a maximum loss of $120 an hour.

Mr Wilkie's proposed reforms were recommended by a Productivity Commission report into the impact of gambling delivered to government on February 26. The government released the report on June 23, but it was accused of avoiding the tough reforms recommended.

Speaking on Sky News last night, Mr Wilkie said any political leader who seriously tackled the issue of gambling would "write themselves into history".

"If one of them does get my support, if one does go hard on the issue of poker machine reform, they will write themselves in history as being the only leader of this country to tackle the scourge of pokies," he said.

Senator Xenophon and Mr Wilkie are expected to meet several of Ms Gillard's senior advisers today to continue discussions on gambling reform.

Senator Xenophon told The Australian yesterday the issue had been sidelined for too long.

"The simple truth is the state governments are addicted to the $4 billion a year in gambling taxes and it has got to stop," Senator Xenophon said.

Gambling expert Matthew Rockloff, a senior lecturer at Central Queensland University, said he believed the proposal put forward by Mr Wilkie to reduce betting sizes would have very little impact on problem gambling.

He said smart technologies such as pre-commitment cards - recommended by the Productivity Commission - that capped user spending, would be a better solution.