However, St Michael’s Anglican Cathedral reverend Sandy Grant concedes Prime Minister Julia Gillard could walk away from legislating mandatory pre-commitment technology by May.

‘‘I desperately hope the Government does not back down and that they show some conviction,’’ Rev Grant said yesterday.

He called on wavering federal politicians to follow the lead of Labor MP and Revesby Workers’ Club president Daryl Melham, one of mandatory pre-commitment’s biggest supporters.

‘‘There is someone with some leadership, some backbone and principle,’’ Rev Grant said.

‘‘Leadership is not about simply giving way to lobby groups, it’s about doing what’s right for society.’’

Mission Australia’s Dapto-based gambling counsellor, Andrew Phillips, said the organisation would be disappointed if a national pre-commitment scheme was delayed or dumped.

Mission Australia would support a trial of mandatory pre-commitment in the ACT as a ‘‘second best’’ option, he said, provided it was not voluntary.

‘‘In the Illawarra as elsewhere, Mission Australia sees firsthand the worst impacts of problem gambling,’’ Mr Phillips said.

‘‘Our clients not only experience financial crisis and bankruptcy but also relationship breakdown, homelessness, depression and even suicide.

‘‘Let’s also be clear that every year we delay introduction of a national mandatory pre-commitment policy, tens of thousands of problem gamblers, their families and communities will continue to suffer ...’’

Rev Grant said poker machine reform brought the taboo of problem gambling into the public spotlight.

‘‘Since I started speaking out about this, people have come out of the woodwork telling me about gambling problems,’’ he said.

‘‘One elderly widow lived with her husband’s poker machine addiction for years ... for a significant part of her life there was pressure and stress that was just miserable. For her, it’s over but there’ll be others struggling silently unless something is done.’’