THE face of Wangaratta’s gaming industry could undergo significant change in the future.

The State Government last week announced it will end the duopoly of gaming machines held by Tattersalls and Tabcorp in 2012.

The state’s 27,500 poker machines will be auctioned off to the highest bidder, with no single operator allowed to control more than 35 per cent of the state’s poker machines.

The Rural City of Wangaratta has four poker machine venues - the Wangaratta Club, Wangaratta RSL, the Pinsent Hotel and The Old Town and Country Tavern.

According to shadow minister for gaming, Michael O’Brien, these are the kinds of venues that may suffer under the new arrangement.

"By setting caps which allow as few as three players to operate 27,500 pokies in Victoria, the Brumby Government is ensuring that gaming continues to be dominated by large interests," he said.