THE Ballarat RSL bid to add 23 pokies to its Lyons St South headquarters will be considered today at a hearing of the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation.Should the commission approve the application it will bring the number of gaming machines at the RSL sub-branch to 33.The club had originally sought to transfer 29 machines from the Buninyong Golf Club but in its review of the application to vary the number of machines at the RSL the Ballarat City Council suggested 23 machines because council's gaming policy aimed to reduce the number of pokies in the municipality.While the council is invited to comment on gaming machine matters, the final decision is made by the commission.The council ruling on the RSL last year was consistent with a 2006 decision when it supported a transfer of machines from the George Hotel to the Ballarat Leagues Club, subject to a 20 per cent net reduction in the overall number of machines in the municipality.Anti-pokies campaigner Paul Bendat has raised concerns about the transfer of the gaming machines, arguing that increasing the number of machines at a venue increases the amount of money lost at each machine.Mr Bendat said adding pokies to the Ballarat RSL would increase the number of machines in an area considered more socio-economically disadvantaged than Buninyong.In a submission to the commission Mr Bendat said moving machines to central Ballarat would greatly increase the density of pokies in the city and negate any net reduction in the number of pokies.Mr Bendat had sought to make a verbal submission to today's hearing but was told that because he was "not a resident of, or a member of, the local community which is affected by this application you lack standing and as a consequence have no right to appear before the Commission". Yesterday Ballarat RSL president Graeme Cummins said increasing the number of gaming machines was simply to "keep the doors of the RSL open".