Court documents have revealed explosive allegations that a close associate of Nigel Farage acted as a frontman for a multi-million pound gambling syndicate headed by Premier League billionaire Tony Bloom.
The Alleged Syndicate and Its Frontman
The details are contained in a 19-page high court filing, part of an ongoing legal dispute between Bloom and a former associate, Ryan Dudfield. The papers allege that George Cottrell, a key figure within Reform UK's inner circle, allowed a major betting collective known as the Starlizard Betting Syndicate to take control of his personal gambling accounts.
It is claimed the syndicate, which reportedly makes around £600 million in annual winnings, used accounts held in the names of various frontmen, including "footballers, sportsmen and businessmen". These were allegedly operated as "secret exotic accounts" from satellite offices in London's Canary Wharf.
Tony Bloom, the majority shareholder and chair of Brighton & Hove Albion FC, who made his fortune from gambling and is known in the industry as "The Lizard", is said to have led the syndicate. Highly successful gamblers often use "whales" or frontmen to place bets on their behalf to avoid being shut out by betting sites due to the scale of their wagers.
A Lucrative and 'Risk-Free' Deal
The court document alleges that Cottrell, who has a profile as a high-stakes bettor but was "not a particularly successful gambler", was introduced to Bloom's operation. An arrangement was reportedly struck where Cottrell received a 33% share of any wins, while any losses he incurred appear to have been covered by Bloom or the syndicate.
This effectively made his share of profits "risk free", according to the claim. The filing states that "Mr Cottrell had given control of his betting accounts to Mr Bloom and the Syndicate so that it was not necessary for bets to be sent to Mr Cottrell for him to place."
Bets were allegedly placed using Cottrell's accounts with Stake.com, an offshore casino where transactions are made in cryptocurrency. The document also references Cottrell's 2017 conviction for wire fraud in the US, for which he served a prison sentence.
Legal Dispute and Denials
The lawsuit has been brought by Ryan Dudfield, who describes himself as an "introducer". He claims he is owed his share of gambling profits estimated at $250 million (£189m), alleging a 7% profit-share arrangement. Dudfield contends he was told the syndicate's use of Cottrell's accounts had ceased, but that it in fact continued, with significant profits being made.
The filing claims Cottrell and a key Bloom associate, Ian McAleavy, knew the syndicate was still active and misled Dudfield about its shutdown. In relation to separate allegations, lawyers for Cottrell have previously told the Guardian he had "no involvement" in companies using cryptocurrencies and was not a stakeholder in the offshore site Tether.bet.
Tony Bloom has yet to file a defence to the high court claim. Lawyers acting for Cottrell were approached for comment by the Guardian, as was Bloom via Brighton & Hove Albion FC.
