It also voted not to oppose a Robin Hood Hotel application to the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation to become a gaming venue, complete with 20 more machines.

Councillor Des Hudson said the council’s gaming policy aimed to concentrate poker machines within the Ballarat CBD.

“We are doing this to reduce the amount of harm, to reduce easy accessibility to a gaming facility just around the block,” Cr Hudson said.

“We had a clear direction, we wanted electronic gaming machines in the city centre.”

Cr Hudson said Ballarat was still below its state government cap of 663 machines.

However, the extra 50 machines, if the 20 at the Robin Hood Hotel are approved, will lift Ballarat’s gaming density to 8.85 machines per 1000 people, higher than Geelong, Bendigo and Mildura.

Local hotel owner Gary Browning said the Robin Hood Hotel should not be allowed to become a gaming venue, as it backed onto Big W, Dan Murphy’s and several other shops.

However, the council’s growth and development director, Eric Braslis, said poker machines were only banned from shopping complexes.

Councillor Craig Fletcher said the council did not set the cap and did not issue licences.

“Council has a consistent policy where the machines are placed,” Cr Fletcher said.

“We are at pains to understand the harm associated with disadvantaged communities (and) we have an obligation to work within the framework to ensure these machines are placed in an area where they can do the least harm.”

However, Councillor Samantha McIntosh opposed the 30 new machines at the Bended Elbow.

“There is a need to place them away from areas of social disadvantage and these would be near a railway and an accommodation place,” Cr McIntosh said.