Tony Bloom denies owing money to his former colleague as Brighton owner confirms placing bets through accounts of Reform UK adviser.
The billionaire owner of Brighton & Hove Albion has acknowledged that his syndicate used Reform UK adviser George Cottrell’s gambling accounts to place bets totalling millions of pounds.
In a document submitted to the high court, Tony Bloom acknowledges that he, Cottrell, and Ryan Dudfield, a former employee, had an arrangement wherein winnings were to be divided among them.
Additionally, Bloom asserts that Dudfield, who is suing him and his syndicate, is not entitled to any additional money from this deal.
Bloom argues in his defence of the lawsuit that Dudfield “cashed out” his position in December 2022 and got a £60,000 “nuisance payment” to settle any claims he had against him in July 2023.
Bloom’s defence said: “The effect … of the July 2023 agreement was to settle any and all claims that the claimant may have against Mr Bloom and, accordingly, covered the claims brought in these proceedings. The instant proceedings are also brought in breach of the covenant not to sue.”
Cottrell was introduced to his former boss by Dudfield, a professional gambler who had previously worked for Bloom. He is suing Bloom and his syndicate, alleging that they formed a deal whereby bets were made for Bloom using Cottrell’s accounts, and he is due potentially millions of pounds.
In the 17-page response to Dudfield’s claims, Bloom says: “It was an express term of the agreement that Mr Cottrell would allow Mr Bloom to place bets on a certain gambling account in Mr Cottrell’s name, described by Mr Cottrell as a ‘hedging account’ which he held with [the gambling platform] Sportsbet.io.”