JIM Hogan, owner of the Hotel Shamrock, says the greater Bendigo community is not opposed to his venue installing more poker machines.
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"Where's the backlash?" he said.
"Where are they?
"They're not (contacting) the hotel - I haven't had one phone call."
Mr Hogan compared poker machines to the bets that took place at the Bendigo racetrack and said they were "just another entertainment option".
Mr Hogan was referring to his bid to install 20 additional poker machines in the Hotel Shamrock, the legality of which the City of Greater Bendigo is challenging at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
But City of Greater Bendigo director of planning and development Prue Mansfield said many people in the community were opposed to more poker machines at the hotel.
"We've just down our community well-being survey and asked people what they thought of poker machines," she said.
She said that 80 per cent of the 2000 respondents thought the council should control the growth, location and number of poker machines in Greater Bendigo.
"I would argue that this is evidence there is sentiment against them," she said.