Tony Bloom, the billionaire owner of Brighton & Hove Albion, is at the centre of serious allegations concerning a multi-million dollar gambling syndicate, with claims it placed bets on his own football clubs.
Allegations of a $70m Winning Streak
The Guardian can reveal that Bloom, renowned in gambling circles as 'The Lizard', is the figure identified as 'John Doe' in a US legal case. This case sought to unmask the beneficiary behind a staggering $70m (£52m) in alleged winnings. The court filing suggests these profits included bets placed on teams owned by Bloom himself.
When approached, Bloom declined to confirm or deny if he was the 'John Doe' in question. However, he firmly denied ever betting on his own teams or the competitions they participate in. A source close to the businessman labelled the accusations as "entirely false".
MPs Demand FA Investigation into 'Carve-Out'
The allegations have prompted immediate calls for scrutiny from Westminster. Clive Efford, the former shadow sports minister, has urged the Football Association to launch a formal investigation. "The FA has to investigate these claims and publish their conclusion," the Labour MP stated, emphasising that owners are bound by the same rules as players.
Bloom received a special "carve-out" from the FA in 2014, a controversial exemption that permits him to continue gambling professionally, provided he does not bet on his own clubs. If the current allegations are substantiated, this would represent a clear breach of those rules.
Clive Betts, chair of the all-party parliamentary group on football, warned this could be "the tip of the iceberg", while former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith criticised the FA's "lax policy" on gambling money in football.
Frontmen and a Separate UK Lawsuit
These US claims mirror a separate, ongoing High Court case in England. That lawsuit alleges Bloom uses a network of frontmen, including footballers, sportsmen, and businessmen, to place substantial bets for his Starlizard Betting Syndicate. Notably, one named individual is George Cottrell, a former aide to Nigel Farage and a Reform UK insider.
The UK case, brought by a former business partner, claims the syndicate bets "predominantly" on football and alleges Bloom owes the claimant a share of profits estimated at around $250m. A source close to Bloom said he intends to file a defence in due course.
In the US case, the co-founder of online gambling firm Rollbit, known as 'Razer', publicly accused Bloom's syndicate on social media platform X on 14 November. Razer claimed the syndicate used a frontman to bet on Bloom's own teams via Rollbit. Other sources have since made similar claims to The Guardian.
A source close to Bloom countered that his betting activities are audited annually by a leading accountancy firm to ensure compliance with FA and Belgian rules, given his financial interest in Royale Union Saint-Gilloise. This audit process is designed to confirm no bets are placed on his clubs.
The Starlizard syndicate is alleged to generate approximately £600m each year. As the FA faces mounting political pressure, the spotlight on one of football's most successful—and enigmatic—owner-gamblers has never been brighter.
