Brighton owner Tony Bloom faces questions over allegations he bet on his own teams

Brighton FC owner Tony Bloom faces intense scrutiny over allegations that he bet on his own team, sparking calls for a Football Association (FA) investigation. According to claims made by Rollbit's co-founder Razer, Bloom's syndicate placed bets on Brighton & Hove Albion matches through a frontman, breaching FA rules.

The US court case at the centre of this scandal also alleges that Bloom's syndicate used frontmen to mask its involvement in winning significant sums of money. The claims have been denied by Bloom and those close to him, who claim the allegations are "entirely false".

Bloom is one of a handful of football club owners granted a "carve-out" exemption from betting rules in 2014, allowing him to continue gambling on football under strict conditions. However, if the allegations against him are proven, this could be seen as a breach of FA rules.

MP Clive Efford has called for an investigation into the claims, stating that no one in a position to influence the outcome of a match should bet on their competition. Chair of the all-party parliamentary group on football, Clive Betts, has also expressed concern over the potential seriousness of this issue, highlighting the need for a comprehensive investigation from the FA.

Bloom's reputation as "The Lizard", one of the world's most successful professional gamblers, and his syndicate's alleged annual profits of £600m have drawn attention to this scandal. A former business partner is also set to file a high court claim against Bloom over unpaid gambling profits estimated at $250m.

Bloom's involvement with Brighton FC and another Belgian club, Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, has raised further questions about his betting activities. A source close to him claims that his annual audits are carried out by a leading accountancy firm to confirm compliance with FA rules, but denies any bets were placed on Brighton matches.

I gotta say, this whole thing is gettin' kinda messy for Tony Bloom . I mean, £600m in alleged profits is a lot to just swallow, especially if it's tied to betting on his own team - that's like cheating the system right? And with all these allegations comin' out, even the FA is gettin' involved . I think an investigation is due, not just 'cause of the rules breach, but also 'cause it reflects poorly on football as a whole . The fact that he's got this "carve-out" exemption from betting rules in 2014 just makes it even more suspicious - like, what were they hidin' back then?

OMG like what's going on with Tony Bloom?? He's one of the most successful gamblers in the world and now he's under scrutiny for allegedly betting on his own team?! I don't think it's cool when people bet against their own team, even if they're just trying to make a profit. The whole thing sounds pretty shady to me, especially with all that money involved . We need to get to the bottom of this and find out what's really going on!

omg, this scandal is getting juicier by the day ! i mean, £600m annual profits from betting? that's like, wow... and to think he's been granted a "carve-out" exemption in 2014, it's like, what's going on behind those closed doors? i'm not saying he's guilty or anything (he's denied all allegations btw), but the fact that there are frontmen involved in hiding his bets is just shady . and now we've got a former business partner filing a high court claim against him... this could get messy . but you know what? i think this scandal might be a wake-up call for football owners to get their acts together and make sure they're playing by the rules . it's like, time for transparency, you know?

this is like something straight out of a movie! can you believe tony bloom is being accused of betting on his own team? £600m is a huge amount and if it's true that he's breached fa rules, it's massive i'm all for investigating these claims, the integrity of football is at stake here. and what's with the "carve-out" exemption? did they not think this would happen? bloom's reputation as a gambler is already out there, but to have his own team in the mix is just crazy i'm keeping an eye on this one, it could get messy

so this is like another football scandal and tony bloom is the one at the center of it all... i mean, 600m a year in profits is crazy but if he's betting on his own team that's just wrong... shouldn't be allowed to do that obviously i'm not surprised the fa is getting involved tho... gotta keep things fair and all that. what really gets me is that bloom is one of those few people who got a "carve-out" exemption from betting rules back in 2014 like, how did they even get away with it for so long?

this whole thing is wild... i mean, £600m in profits from betting? it's like he's playing both sides against each other. and if the fa finds out, his exemption is basically worthless. what's next? him owning a stake in the league itself? that'd be a joke.

this whole thing just feels super sketchy... i mean, if he's one of the most successful gamblers in the world and can't even follow his own team's matches without screwing over the system... what else has he been up to? it's like he thinks he's above the law or something. and $250m unpaid gambling profits? that's just too suspicious for comfort. i'm not saying they're true, but until there's concrete evidence, i'll be keeping a close eye on this one...

this is getting serious, like in the movie "The Wolf of Wall Street" but it's real life! Tony Bloom's reputation as a pro gambler is everything that's wrong with it - £600m annual profits and people saying he's one of the best? No way! I mean, if you're gonna own a football team, shouldn't you be focused on winning games not making bank from betting on them? It's like, what's the point of even having rules if everyone knows who's breaking them? The fact that his syndicate used frontmen to hide their bets is like something out of a spy movie . The FA needs to get involved and fast, before this whole thing blows up in their faces!

omg u guys cant believe what tony bloom is accused of now he's always been shady about his betting habits and it looks like they finally found him out i mean £600m is a lot of money but if hes breaking fa rules its not worth itimo think the fa needs to do some digging on this one ASAP

I'm not buying it This whole thing just smells like a PR stunt. I mean, come on, £600m in annual profits? That's like, a small country's economy or something And then to have a former business partner sue him for $250m? It's all too convenient .

And what's with the "carve-out" exemption from betting rules that he got back in 2014? Sounds like a sweetheart deal to me . I'm not saying Tony Bloom is definitely guilty or anything, but let's just say I'd need some solid proof before jumping to conclusions .

The FA investigation should be happening ASAP . We can't have our top club owners basically doing whatever they want with their own money and then expecting everyone else to play by the rules . It's not right .

omg this is like so crazy tony bloom's reputation as the lizard is literally shakin' now i dont know what to think about this whole thing... if he did bet on his own team it would be super suspicious and unfair to other teams and fans, and like i get that the rules were made for a reason, but at the same time bloom was given a special exemption back in 2014 which makes everything kinda murky what if he followed all the rules? or what if there's more to this story than meets the eye?

this is super concerning - i mean, who bet on their own team? it's like something straight out of a movie! and £600m in annual profits is wild but if the allegations are true, it's gotta raise serious questions about FA rules and how they're not being enforced properly ️

OMG, you won't believe the drama surrounding Tony Bloom and Brighton FC ️! Like, I'm all for a good ol' fashioned sports bet every now and then, but when it comes to betting on your own team? That's just sickening!

And can we talk about how this is just another example of the rich getting richer? I mean, £600m annual profits are crazy talk! And if these allegations are true, that's not just a breach of FA rules, it's also a slap in the face to all the fans who support Brighton FC because they love the team, not just for the money

It's like, we're supposed to believe that Tony Bloom is telling us everything is legit and he's just some innocent owner trying to make a buck? Give me a break! We've seen enough shady dealings in football to know when someone's hiding something behind closed doors

And what really gets my goat is how this all goes back to that US court case. Like, can't we just focus on our own backyard problems for once? It's like the drama never ends!

I'm not buying it ... or should I say, I'm not putting my money where my mouth is . This whole thing just smells like a massive bet (pun intended) against Tony Bloom's reputation. £600m annual profits? That sounds like some serious cash . And if he's really as innocent as he claims to be, why is everyone else so quick to doubt him? I mean, I'm all for accountability and transparency in football, but let's not jump to conclusions just yet .

I've got a question – what exactly does "carve-out" exemption from betting rules even mean? Is it like having a special get-out-of-jail-free card or something ? And why was this exemption granted in the first place? It's all a bit suspicious, if you ask me . Anyway, I'm watching this story unfold with bated breath (or should I say, bated bet ).

I'm so worried about this whole thing! If the allegations against Tony Bloom are true, it's like, totally not cool. I mean, shouldn't someone in charge of his team be able to just, you know, control their own destiny? It's not like he's going around betting on other people's teams or anything... well, that's what the allegations are saying!

But seriously, this could be a big problem for the FA and for football as a whole. I mean, if someone in charge of a team is betting on them, it's like, unfair to everyone else. It's not right. And what about all those people who work for Brighton FC? They're the ones who get hurt by this kind of thing.

I'm not surprised that there are calls for an investigation, though. I think it would be a good idea for the FA to take a close look at this and make sure everything is on the up-and-up. After all, they have to uphold the rules and protect everyone's interests...

can you believe this? tony bloom is a legend in the gambling world and now it looks like he's under fire for allegedly betting on his own team? i mean, i'm no expert, but if the fa investigation finds out he broke the rules, that would be huge . i love how clive efford is calling for an investigation - transparency is key in sports ️. and £600m in annual profits? wow! i just hope bloom clears his name and doesn't get too caught up in all this drama . btw, has anyone seen that movie "21" with Kevin Spacey?

omg u guys, this is getting crazy ! so tony bloom has been accused of betting on his own team and now ppl r calling for an fa investigation . idk what's more shocking, the fact that he allegedly bet on brighton & hove albion or the £600m he supposedly made from it . i mean, i get that he's a successful gambler and all, but come on! shouldn't ppl in positions of power like him be held to a higher standard?

and what's with the fact that he was granted an exemption from betting rules back in 2014? didn't they think it would prevent exactly this kinda thing from happening? . seriously though, if these allegations are true, it could be huge for football and the fa need to get to the bottom of it ASAP .

btw, did u know that bloom's former business partner is suing him for $250m? this scandal just keeps getting juicier by the day

idk how people can't see this comin' tony bloom's rep as the lizard is kinda legendary at this point & it's only a matter of time before all these betting allegations catch up with him lol like what are the chances his syndicate would be stupid enough to think they could get away with bettin on their own team? i mean, even if he did manage to cover his tracks, wouldn't that just raise more red flags about how dirty the whole thing is? FA needs to take a closer look at this ASAP