Eastern Access Community Help's acting general manager, Bernie Durkin, said problem gambling communication campaigns were decreasingly effective.

"The evaluation done on three different communication strategies shows that ... the first generated a 52per cent increase in people coming to gambling help services.

"The second was 23per cent and the third was a 9per cent increase. My question to the department now is: Isn't it time to think about a different approach?

"The strategies are at the point now where they are borderline ineffective.''

Monash University's senior lecturer in health sciences, Charles Livingstone, said problem gamblers were doomed to fail unless there were "proper changes to regulations, so that the product becomes safer''.

"Education campaigns won't have much effect if they are the only thing relied upon.

"But if you reduce the harm of gambling you reduce the revenue. As much as half of gambling revenue comes from problem gambling.''

Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation data shows pokie players in Monash lost $125.7million in 2007-08 - an average loss of $937 for each Monash adult.

Last week, Opposition gaming spokesman Michael O'Brien said money spent on problem gambling communication campaigns fell by 35per cent from $4.75million in 2005-06 to $3.09million in 2006-07, with the cuts remaining in place for the next financial year.

"It's a disgrace that when Monash pokie players are losing thousands of dollars each year, the Brumby Government is more interested in filling its coffers instead of using its record tax haul to assist problem gamblers.''

State Government spokesman Michael Sinclair said the Government was committed to the promotion of responsible gambling.

He said it recently announced a complete ban on ATMs in gaming venues from 2012, and made a 2006 funding announcement of $132million to reduce problem gambling over five years.