ClubsACT, the group offering to host a trial of poker machine reforms, is fed up with politicians standing in the way of unprecedented federal reform.

ClubsACT has been negotiating to run a trial of mandatory precommitment, which would force punters to preset how much they are willing to lose, with the federal government. But the Gillard government is yet to convince the opposition or Greens to support the plan.

''I'm tired of federal politicians criticising this industry from their moral high horse when any serious analysis of their contribution to the issue of problem gambling shows they have achieved absolutely nothing in the two years since the last federal election,'' ClubsACT chief executive Jeff House said.

''From the moment the trial became entangled with parliamentary processes and the whims of politicians, its fate is no longer controlled by the government and industry through the negotiations which have been placed on hold until the parliament decides what to do with the legislation.''

The trial would be reviewed by the Productivity Commission. The scheme would also require voluntary precommitment technology on all new Australian pokies from next year. By 2016 all poker machines would have to have the scheme. Machines would have to be mandatory precommitment ready with legislation to allow a future government to turn on the system if the trial was successful.

The trial was scheduled to start in February, but even if laws were passed now pokie manufacturers say technology for a trial would take 12 months to create.

Greens and independent Senator Nick Xenophon support a $1 maximum bet limit on pokies, warning the government's scheme would do nothing for problem gamblers.

''The Coalition too, despite indicating preference for voluntary precommitment, are also playing politics by not supporting the bill,'' Mr House said.

The Greens have offered compromises. First it wanted machines to be $1 bet ready, and for it to be a fall back option if the trial was unsuccessful. More recently it has offered support if only new pokies were $1 bet ready.

Greens Senator Richard Di Natale said: ''The trial does not require any legislation, the government should get on and do it. We have compromised on a number of occasions to try and get an outcome, but the government is not keen to discuss any amendments.''

While technically the trial does not require legislation, clubs and the government want legislation to be passed so a national voluntary precommitment system could be set in law. The government does not back $1 bets.

Senator Xenophon said it was ''gob-smacking hypocrisy from the pokies lobby to attack pollies for not getting through reforms, when the lobby itself blocked reforms''.

A Coalition spokesman said while it supported voluntary precommitment, it remained opposed to mandatory precommitment, because ''it would not work''.

The opposition has received seven briefings on the legislation but has been not provided with a copy of the bill.