A trial of mandatory pre-commitment on poker machines in the ACT is to begin in February 2013 if Clubs ACT agrees to a federal government offer.
Poker machine players could start registering for the year-long scheme from November.
Community Services Minister Jenny Macklin on Sunday released details of the offer the government made to Clubs ACT on Friday.
The trial would include all clubs in the ACT, including small clubs and those not currently members of Clubs ACT.
Under ACT laws, only community or not-for-profit clubs are allowed to have poker machine licences - not pubs, hotels or the casino.
The terms of the trail say it would 'substantiate that mandatory pre-commitment has sufficient advantages over partial pre-commitment to justify proceeding with its implementation in all jurisdictions'.
It will also test the design features of the pre-commitment technology to identify any possible modifications and give players messages alerting them to their cost of play.
It will not test ATM withdrawal limits, another part of Labor's poker machine reforms.
The trial would run from February 2013 until February 2014, followed by a six-month evaluation and independent review.
In a $37 million deal, the government would pay clubs a monthly participation fee during the trial, training fees for venue staff, funding for specialist mandatory pre-commitment workers and for business planning for all venues after the trial.
It has also offered to pay all the necessary infrastructure costs, but it is not yet known how much this will cost.
Venues must continue meeting requirements under ACT law for community contributions and would have to sign agreements stating that no commonwealth funds would be used to support political donations.
The government will get data about poker machine use in Queanbeyan and other cross-border towns surrounding the ACT to assess whether gamblers are heading into NSW to avoid the scheme.
