In supporting a tougher new stance on gaming machines Cr John Harris said clubs with gambling venues gained much more income than rivals without.

He cited lawn bowls and football as examples of where some of the region's clubs had bigger financial advantages and modern social activities which made it easier to lure players.

"It's to the detriment of other clubs," he said.

"In bowls there are two Warrnambool clubs that seem to be in the grand finals every year.

"It's the same with football. There's a lot of inequity.

"I'm not criticising clubs with big modern social facilities, but the amount of money gained through having pokies is not evenly spread among other clubs."

All councillors voted on Monday night for a beefed-up gaming policy which opposes any moves to increase the number of pokies and venues.

It will be followed by moves to close loopholes in planning policy and prevent a predicted push by investors with gaming machine entitlements for new approvals.

The council will now seek community opinion on whether the cap of 234 gaming machines should be lifted.

Community development director Vicky Mason told the council that recent figures showed an average of $765 a person was spent on pokies in Warrnambool last financial year compared with the state average of $611.

Based on population this equates to a total of $25.95 million.

Warrnambool has 9.36 electronic gaming machines per 1000 adults - 36 per cent higher than the state average.

She warned that if the council did not take a tough stance there was a risk of worsening negative social impacts due to gambling losses.

Councillors said they were alarmed by the huge sum spent on pokies and the impact on lower-income sectors of the community. Mayor Jacinta Ermacora said pokies exploited people unfairly. "There's no skill involved in playing the machines," she said.