Tony Bloom, the owner of English Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion, has denied allegations that he bet on matches involving his own team.
Bloom said in a statement on Saturday: “I can categorically assure our supporters that I have not placed bets on any Brighton & Hove Albion matches since becoming the owner of the club in 2009.”
Bloom’s statement followed a report in The Guardian newspaper on Friday which suggested that Bloom could be the “John Doe” named in a 2025 court filing in the United States in a case concerning betting winnings of $70 million.
Bloom is also linked to a court case in the United Kingdom, where Ryan Dudfield is suing for his share of gambling profits estimated at close to £190 million.
Dudfield alleges that he acted as an affiliate and introduces people to Bloom’s Starlizard Betting Syndicate, which is said to have then used the accounts of these individuals to place bets on sporting events.
Accoridng to The Guardian’s reporting of the UK court documents, the Starlizard Betting Syndicate makes around £600 million a year in winnings.
Bloom said in his statement that the Football Association’s (FA) betting rules include “quite onerous provisions for owners of football clubs”.
“These provisions allow certain football club owners, including me, to continue to bet on football under strict conditions,” he explained. “In particular, the policy prevents me from betting on any match or competition that Brighton & Hove Albion is involved in.”
Bloom’s statement did not address the other allegations in The Guardian’s reports.