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Read Full BioPremier League club Brighton and Hove Albion has banned reporters from the UK news outlet The Guardian over accusations that owner Tony Bloom placed bets on matches involving the club.
Bloom has become a billionaire largely through gambling, but has publicly denied placing wagers involving Brighton, an activity prohibited by the Premier League’s betting rules.
Bloom stated, “Following an inaccurate and misleading report in The Guardian earlier this evening, 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.”
The Guardian published claims from online gambling platform Rollbit’s co-owner, known only as Razer, that Bloom wagered on his own team at the online gambling platform through a frontman.
In response to the article, Brighton has banned reporters from the Guardian from attending matches at the club’s stadium, the Amex. The club notified the newspaper on Sunday to say it felt it “would be inappropriate for journalists and photographers from the Guardian to be accredited to matches at the Amex, starting from Sunday’s game against West Ham.”
Rollbit Alleges Frontman Bet for Bloom’s Syndicate
Rollbit filed a motion for discovery in the US earlier this year, aiming to identify the individual behind an alleged syndicate that was gambling on its platform.
This discovery was intended for use in a lawsuit in Curacao, where Rollbit is headquartered. In the court filing seen by CasinoBeats, Rollbit claims a syndicate bet through an individual named John Hopkins on the platform. The company’s terms state that users “may not gamble on behalf of anyone else or as part of an undisclosed syndicate”.
The court document states that Rollbit gave Hopkins, identified as a known poker player, a $1,310 bonus to open the account in February 2023. At that time, Rollbit was unlicensed in the UK, but gained entry into the country last year through a white label collaboration with Grace Media.
Court Filing Shows Account Won $70M on Rollbit
Hopkins then proceeded to accumulate $70 million in winnings, of which Rollbit paid out $50 million. Based on the significant sums Hopkins was wagering and the manner in which he was transferring funds to and from Rollbit, the court document states that the company began to suspect Hopkins was using his account to gamble on behalf of a syndicate or other individuals.
Rollbit then closed Hopkins’ account in 2024, claiming that he had not verified his location or identity. The backer of the account, identified only as “John Doe” in court documents, then joined the dispute to protect his personal information.
Rollbit had contacted crypto exchange Kraken seeking information about the individual linked to the crypto wallet used to withdraw funds. The court filing from Rollbit sought to compel Kraken to disclose the personal information associated with the account, but the judge denied the request.
It has therefore not been officially confirmed that the account is linked to Bloom, but Rollbit’s co-founder believes it is the Brighton owner. He also alleges that some of the bets placed on the platform by Hopkins (through Bloom) involved Brighton.
MPs Want FA to Investigate
As the allegations have surfaced, MPs in the UK have called on the Football Association (FA) to investigate the claims that Bloom bet on matches involving his own team. MP Clive Efford said, “No one in a position to influence the outcome of a match or possess inside information can bet on the competition they’re involved in.”
“The FA has to investigate these claims and publish their conclusion. Severe sanctions have been imposed on players for gambling on matches, and owners are covered by the same rules, so this cannot be ignored.”
Soccer players in the UK are strictly forbidden from betting on any soccer matches, not only games involving their own team. Earlier this year, the FA suspended AFC Wimbledon player Osman Foyo for five months for placing bets that did not involve his own team.
Premier League stars Ivan Toney and Sandro Tonali also faced lengthy bans for betting on soccer matches. Bloom said he is cooperating with the FA and noted that the current regulations allow him to place bets on soccer, just not on those involving Brighton.
He also has a financial stake in the Belgian club Royale Union Saint-Gilloise and Scottish club Hearts.
Bloom’s Betting Syndicate Facing Lawsuit
In a separate case, Bloom is facing a lawsuit filed by a former associate who claims to be owed money from Bloom’s betting syndicate, Starlizard.
Ryan Dudfield claims he had an agreement to receive a share of the syndicate’s profits. Dudfield says the syndicate placed bets on the online gambling site, Stake, through a “whale” named George Cottrell.
He claims the syndicate falsely said Cottrell had stopped placing bets when, in fact, he continued to wager on behalf of the data-driven syndicate backed by Bloom.
The Starlizard Betting Syndicate reportedly generates as much as $250 million in profits from its bets. Bloom has yet to respond to the lawsuit filed by Dudfield, but a source said he intends to do so “in due course.”
