The Problem Gambling Foundation says community organisations have an addiction to funding from gaming machines.
Parliament's Commerce Select Committee is considering a bill aimed at reducing harm from gambling.
The bill gives local authorities the power to reduce the number of pokie machines in their communities or even eliminate them altogether.
Foundation chief executive Graeme Ramsey says 40% of the money made on pokies comes from problem gambling.
But there is a lot of opposition to the bill, he says, because many organisations depend on that funding.
