Brighton Owner Bloom Refutes Betting Allegations

Brighton owner Tony Bloom has vehemently denied allegations that he placed bets on matches involving his own club, calling such claims “entirely false” in a strongly worded statement issued through Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club.

The denial comes in response to a report published this week in the Guardian, which alleged that Bloom was the figure behind an anonymous gambler known as “John Doe” who reportedly amassed winnings of approximately $70 million (£52 million). According to the report, these winnings allegedly included bets placed on Brighton matches – an action that would constitute a serious breach of Football Association regulations.

“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 stated through the club’s official channels. He emphasized his full compliance with FA gambling policies throughout his ownership tenure.

The Football Association strictly prohibits club owners from betting on matches involving their own teams or competitions in which their clubs participate. Bloom is among a select group of owners who were granted exemptions under a 2014 policy that allows them to continue gambling on other football competitions and matches not involving their teams.

To support his compliance claims, Bloom revealed that his football betting activities undergo rigorous annual auditing by “one of the world’s leading accounting firms” to ensure adherence to FA regulations. This auditing process serves as a safeguard against potential conflicts of interest that might arise from his dual roles as a club owner and professional gambler.

The Brighton owner, who also holds a significant 29% stake in Scottish Premiership club Heart of Midlothian (Hearts), confirmed that legal representatives have already contacted the Guardian regarding what he described as “entirely false” allegations. Additionally, Brighton officials are in direct communication with both the Premier League and the Football Association concerning the matter.

Bloom’s background in the gambling industry spans decades. The 55-year-old British billionaire founded the online gambling platform Premierbet in 2002 before selling it for approximately £1 million in 2005. He currently heads a private betting syndicate operated through his company Starlizard, which reportedly uses sophisticated mathematical models to identify betting value across global sports markets.

Since acquiring Brighton in 2009, Bloom has overseen the club’s remarkable transformation from a struggling League One side to an established Premier League club that now competes in European competitions. His data-driven approach to football has earned him the nickname “The Wizard of Odds” within industry circles.

The allegations come at a sensitive time for football’s relationship with gambling. The sport has faced increasing scrutiny over its deep financial ties to betting companies, with numerous Premier League clubs maintaining gambling firms as shirt sponsors and official partners. Regulatory bodies have been tightening rules around gambling in football, with several high-profile cases of players and officials being sanctioned for betting violations in recent years.

The legal case in the United States that seeks to unmask “John Doe” continues to develop, though Bloom’s categorical denial places him at odds with the Guardian’s reporting. If substantiated, allegations of an owner betting on their own team would represent one of the most serious gambling infractions in modern English football.

For now, Brighton fans will likely await further clarification as the club, the FA, and the Premier League address these serious allegations against one of the sport’s most successful and innovative owners.