MELBOURNE Storm has joined nine of the 10 Victorian AFL clubs in turning to pokies to prop up its finances.

Storms owners are in the final stages of acquiring a gaming venue believed to be the Kealba Hotel — a large venue in Melbourne’s west.

The news comes as two AFL clubs — Hawthorn and Richmond — are awaiting the outcome of applications before the gaming regulator to up their own stake in pokies.

The Kealba Hotel’s 86 machines pulled in $17.3 million in player losses in the 2013-14 financial year (2014/15 figures are not yet available).

Storm’s 2014 annual report noted that the club had signed a heads of agreement to purchase a business on December 4 last year — when former chief executive Mark Evans was in charge — but did not disclose details of the business type.

“Due to the commercial nature of the transaction, neither the vendor, the nature of the business, nor the amounts have been disclosed,” the report said.

media_camera Melbourne Storm are looking to acquire the Kealba Hotel.

Storm’s new chief executive Dave Donaghy told the Herald Sun the club would look at diverse business interests as it worked towards financial sustainability.

“Like many other sporting organisations in other codes and competitions around the country, there is always a challenge generating the revenue required to sustain a viable business,” Donaghy said.

“Over time, as Storm work towards a sustainable business model, the shareholders will increasingly be looking at diversifying our corporate interests.”

Storm declared an operating profit of $315,000 last year. The club was sold by New Corp Australia — publisher of the Herald Sun — to Holding MS Australia in 2013.

North Melbourne is the only Victorian-based AFL club not to run gaming machines.

The other nine clubs creamed more than $88 million from punters in the 2013/14 financial year.

media_camera Nine of the 10 Victorian AFL clubs have interests in pokies. Picture: PHIL WILLIAMS

Pokies revenue has become such a factor in the game that AFL boss Gillon Mclachlan cited it as one of four chief reasons why the league had introduced equalisation measures.

Its influence on the sport is continuing to grow.

A decision is pending on whether Richmond’s Wantirna Club will see its number of gaming machines increased from 87 to 97.

As part of its application to the Victorian Commission for Gaming and Liquor Regulation, Richmond chief operating officer Michael Stahl said the club needed to “start to set aside a ‘war chest’ for the purchase of future (gaming) entitlements”.

Richmond said it would commit a further $15,000 in community contributions to the City of Knox if the application was granted.

Hawthorn’s giant West Waters Hotel in Caroline Springs is also seeking to add a further 10 machines.

The Hawks own 73 per cent of the hotel as part of a joint venture. It generates more than $10.5m a year in player losses.

The Hawks want to up the number of pokies from 80 to 90 and have promised to increase community contributions by $20,000 a year.

The application notes that “in both 2013 and 2014, the premiership cups and players have been brought out to the hotel to further engage fans in the City of Melton”.

The Western Bulldogs’ long-awaited and trouble-plagued Edgewater will add a further 70 poker machines to Melbourne’s inner west.