A staggering $19.5 million has been pumped into pokies in the first five months of the financial year.

The remarkable figures mean that on average, every man, woman and child in Bendigo spent about $200 on electronic gambling machines between last July and November.

This year’s pokies haul for the same period is more than $600,000 up on the 2007 record of $18.9 million.

The trend for the record spending started in August, when Bendigo gaming venues netted $4 million in one month for the first time.

More than $43.4 million was spent on pokies in 2006-07 and $43.3 million in 2007-08, according to the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation.

Commission figures on Bendigo gaming venues until June 2007 found the city had 10 venues with 547 machines.

Mayor Kevin Gibbins said he would continue to support the previous council’s resolution not to allow any more pokies in Bendigo.

However, he stressed the new council had yet to discuss gaming venues.

“I, like the previous council, do not support extra poker machines in Bendigo,” Cr Gibbins said.

“Not everybody playing these types of games on poker machines has a problem, but those that do are the people we really want to help.

“We definitely acknowledge that, as with other forms of gambling, people can get into problems.”

Cr Gibbins said he would work with Bendigo gaming venues to ensure a better pokies experience for ratepayers.

“I accept they are a legitimate business, but we have got to try and balance the risks involved with that,” he said.

“But our greatest concern is looking after those who have got themselves into trouble through playing these machines.”

Bendigo electronic gaming machine revenue is again comprehensively less than that of Ballarat.

Almost $5 million more - or an extra $1 million a month - has been spent in Ballarat gaming venues since the start of the 2008-09 financial year.

Ballarat also achieved a milestone last August, surpassing the $5 million monthly expenditure for the first time.