Tessa Jowell has defended government plans to liberalise gambling laws, but has said she will consider "constructive" suggestions to amend the legislation.

Defending the controversial legislation in the Commons on Monday, the culture secretary was seeking to head off a rebellion from Labour backbenchers.

Following high profile media attacks on the government's plans and fears they could prompt increases in gambling addiction, Jowell insisted the plans would modernise out of date legislation.

She said the plans would establish "a well-considered and robust framework" for gambling.

And the Cabinet minister slammed the Conservatives for their "opportunism" in opposing the legislation.

She said the proposals had been developed over a five year period and "until very recently there was cross-party consensus for reform".

"But as is so often the case, consensus in dealing with what is a difficult contemporary social issue was replaced by the opportunism of the passing bandwagon," she said.

Jowell told MPs that every proposal to strengthen the bill will be considered "on its merits".

"I want to make absolutely clear that the government will listen to the views of honourable and right honourable members, particularly where they make constructive proposals which contribute or strengthen the three underlying objectives of the bill; first of all to protect children and the vulnerable, secondly to ensure gambling is conducted in a fair and open way, and thirdly to keep gambling in this country crime-free," she said.

But Jowell defended her comments that some criticism of the reforms were "snobbish", and insisted a new Gambling Commission would protect the vulnerable.

"I don't think that this debate or the British people are served by the kind of patronising attitude that doubts people's ability to make choices about how to spend their marginal income or their leisure time," she said.

But she accepted that ministers "need to make sure that our desire to give adults freedom to gamble if they wish is not at the cost of children or the vulnerable".