New venues would be “strongly discouraged” particularly in or near areas of socio-economic disadvantage.

There would also be a push for more revenue from the pokies to be distributed back into the community.

A draft gaming policy review will be put to city councillors tonight seeking their endorsement along with a recommendation that the community be asked to comment on possible expansion of the cap on gaming machines.

Regional caps are scheduled for statewide review this year.

A report to tonight’s council meeting predicts Warrnambool’s cap of 234 gaming machines is likely to come under pressure due to the purchase of entitlements for 270 machines in the city and Moyne Shire at state government auctions last year.

New operators who purchased Warrnambool entitlements will need council planning approval to establish new venues or add machines to existing venues.

Beaumont Investments bought 19. Warrnambool’s The Flying Horse Bar and Brewery bought eight Warrnambool and 30 Moyne entitlements and Warrnambool Football Netball Club bought six entitlements in Moyne.

Each business would need council approval to get the machines spinning.

Figures for 2009-10 from the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation show Warrnambool had a per-head expenditure on pokies of $765 compared with the $631 statewide average.

This equates to an annual expenditure of $25.9 million based on the city’s population.

The proposed revised gaming policy aims to “limit the negative health and well-being impact of electronic gaming machine losses on individuals, families and the community”.

“While levels of problem gambling of individuals in the community may be low, the flow-on impact of their losses on their children and other dependants is high.”

The council report challenges the overall economic benefits of pokies and suggests other type of businesses can deliver greater benefit without the negative social impact.

Tonight’s open council meeting starts at 5.30pm and will also include:

• a motion from the mayor to scrap special charge schemes for several footpaths;
• development of the former woollen mill site;
• and planning amendments to heritage areas.

pcollins@stand ard.fairfax.com.au