In a strongly worded submission to an ACT Assembly inquiry into poker machines and the club industry, Clubs ACT chief executive Jeff House blasted the media and others which he said were highly critical without offering answers.

Clubs had been pushed to the edge of viability, especially small clubs, with some recording their first ever losses, and needed help if they were to move away from gambling, he said.

"More than anything else, the club industry is looking for certainty. It is simply impossible for clubs to manage their businesses and forward plan when the very fundamentals of their operating environment can change so suddenly and dramatically," he said. "The recent re-introduction and removal of $50 notes from clubs within 48 hours is emblematic of the extremely frustrating environment clubs are forced to operate in."

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Mr House called for sweeping changes to gaming laws, including bringing the ACT into line with NSW. In Queanbeyan, there were no restrictions on the amount that could be withdrawal from ATM machines, no restrictions on the notes that could be fed into machines, and gamblers could smoke while playing the pokies in semi-outdoor areas, a regime that had led to ACT residents increasingly heading over the border.

He called for the abolition of note restrictions, saying since $50 and $100 notes were banned in 2004 no evidence had emerged to indicate it had reduced gambling harm.

It wasn't clear that the new trading scheme, which will allow clubs to buy and sell machines between them, would result in much trading given the tough times, he said, asking the government to buy back licences from clubs. The government has ruled out buying machines, saying it will compulsorily take back licences if numbers exceed a new cap to take effect in three years.

Mr House called for tax breaks for community contributions, the extension of a scheme to reduce or waive lease variation charges for clubs that develop land, and a Canberra-wide change to the Territory Plan to help clubs develop land. He said clubs should be able to surrender poker machine licences in return for cheaper deals on changing their leases for development, and should also get tax credits for redevelopments that reduced reliance on gambling.

The government should offer direct support for club redevelopments, in the form of low or no-cost loans, or tax breaks.

Gaming Minister Joy Burch, who also appeared at Monday's inquiry, confirmed the government received about $34 million a year in taxes from clubs. Poker machine taxes were the second lowest in the country, amounting to $112 a head, with only the Northern Territory taking less, she said in a submission. The national average is $176 a head, with Victoria highest, at $240, and NSW at $220. But higher taxes would not reduce problem gambling, she said.

To questions from inquiry chairman Brendan Smyth (Liberal) how much the government spent on problem gambling, officials said the Gambling and Racing Commission spent about $200,000 a year funding university research. Asked whether that was enough, Ms Burch said the government also funded groups that helped families in need across a range of social issues.

Separately, clubs contributed $1 million to a problem gambling fund.