MANNINGHAM Council might take a punt that increasing rates for pubs with pokies will cut problem gambling in the area.

Cr Stephen Mayne has called for the council to adopt a differential scheme that would impose special rates on pokies venues that could be four times higher than normal.

If adopted, Manningham would be the second council in Victoria to impose higher rates on pokies venues, after Moreland successfully introduced a similar scheme last year.

‘‘Special rates seem to be working well in Moreland, and Manningham will be looking at it when we start doing budgets for the 2011-12 financial year,’’ Cr Mayne said.

Last year, Manningham residents lost

$64 million – more than $700 per resident – on the 612 poker machines in the municipality. The amount is more than residents paid in rates.

Cr Mayne said the proposed special rate would bring in an additional $250,000 in revenue, which could be channelled into programs to tackle problem gambling.

Manningham has already taken a harsh stance against poker machines, with a draft policy to oppose applications for new machines expected to be approved next week. Cr Mayne said the new, ‘‘more robust’’ pokies policy opened the door to introducing the rates scheme. He said he was keen for the council to examine the idea over the coming months.

However, Manningham mayor Geoff Gough was cool about the proposal. ‘‘We’re looking into different measures, but rates has not been looked at in detail,’’ he said.

Cr Gough said he opposed imposing special rates as a matter of principle.

‘‘Personally, I do not agree with differential rates, because it is an interference to make some people pay more and some people pay less,’’ he said.

‘‘I don’t agree with the idea of putting penalties on some legal businesses and not others – we have to wonder whether there will be pressure to impose double rates on every pub and bottle shop, or every TAB.

‘‘Philosophically, I don’t know if councils should be making those kinds of judgments.’’