PLAYGROUNDS and children's activities at gaming venues will be investigated in an attempt to stop parents playing poker machines with children on the premises.

The crackdown was a 2010 election commitment.

The 2010 Coalition Plan For Gaming states the Coalition would not allow venues to encourage parents to take children with them "to be dumped elsewhere at a venue without parental supervision while the parents gamble".

Gaming Minister Michael O'Brien asked the Responsible Gambling Ministerial Advisory Council to establish a special working group to provide advice on the commitment.

But pokies activists want the government to act immediately because of the harmful effects on children.

"The Victorian Coalition Government will consider what regulatory changes are necessary and how to implement them after receiving the council's advice," he said. Mr O'Brien gave no indication of when changes could be made.

The website PokieAct.org monitors gaming venues and lists information about whether venues encourage parents through features like playgrounds.

PokieAct.org founder Paul Bendat said it was extremely widespread for venues to aggressively market towards families and children. "There is no effective policy about limiting the sight and sound of pokies to children in a gaming venue," he said.

Mr Bendat said he had served legal notice to the Gambling Minister to ask the government to fulfil their legal obligations not to encourage children to gamble. "It is really simple – a pokies venue is not suitable for a child," he said.

The Diamond Creek Hotel, Lower Plenty Hotel and Eltham Hotel all have children's play areas. Between the three venues, gamblers lost more than $20 million in the last financial year.