Brighton & Hove Albion chairman and majority owner, Tony Bloom, has been accused of operating a covert £600 million ($800m) betting syndicate, according to explosive allegations contained in new High Court documents.
The claims centre around the use of betting accounts allegedly linked to George Cottrell, a former chief of staff to Reform UK MP Nigel Farage. Court filings suggest Cottrell acted as a “stalking horse” for the syndicate, reportedly connected to Bloom, as part of a long-running legal dispute involving Bloom and his former associate, Ryan Dudfield.
Dudfield’s lawyers argue that he is owed approximately £189 million ($250m) in gambling profits, tied to a supposed profit-sharing arrangement within the syndicate, known as the Starlizard Betting Syndicate. The group is said to earn around £600 million annually from wagers placed under accounts belonging to footballers, sportsmen, and businessmen.
According to the documents, Cottrell — described as an unsuccessful gambler — had “given control” of his betting accounts to Bloom’s syndicate. This arrangement allegedly allowed bets to be placed without Cottrell’s direct involvement. Despite being assured that the accounts were no longer in use, Dudfield claims the syndicate continued placing highly profitable bets through them.
Dudfield further alleges he may be owed as much as $17.5 million, based on an agreement entitling him to 7% of the syndicate’s winnings.
Bloom, widely regarded as one of the world’s most successful gamblers, amassed significant wealth through poker and other gaming ventures before taking over Brighton. Since becoming chairman in 2009, he has invested heavily in the club — including £93 million towards the development of the AMEX Stadium — guiding the Seagulls from League One obscurity to Premier League stability.
Under his leadership, Brighton have earned a reputation for exceptional scouting and profitable player trading, selling talents such as Moisés Caicedo, Alexis Mac Allister, Yves Bissouma, Marc Cucurella, and Ben White.
Following a strong campaign under manager Fabian Hürzeler last season, the club finished eighth and narrowly missed out on European qualification. Brighton could rise as high as third in the Premier League table if they defeat Aston Villa on Wednesday night.
