Billionaire gambler Tony Bloom has denied owing millions of pounds to his former colleague George Cottrell, who had introduced him to Cottrell in a bid to access his high-stakes betting accounts. According to a court document filed by Bloom, he and Cottrell had an agreement under which the businessman would place bets through Cottrell's accounts as part of a syndicate.
The arrangement reportedly allowed the syndicate to earn $3.7 million in net winnings from August to December 2022, with Cottrell and another former employee, Ryan Dudfield, entitled to a share of the profits. However, Bloom claims that he was not obligated to pay Dudfield, who is suing him for allegedly owing him millions.
Dudfield has claimed that he thought the arrangement had ended in December 2022 but alleges that the syndicate continued to place bets through Cottrell up until October 2025, earning another $2.4 million in net winnings. The dispute has shed light on the secretive nature of Bloom's betting operations and the use of "exotic accounts" to circumvent restrictions on high-stakes betting.
According to the court document, only one of Cottrell's betting accounts was used before Dudfield "cashed out", while five others were used by Bloom after Dudfield had left employment with the syndicate. However, it is unclear how the syndicate operates and whether they use secret accounts or "information barriers" between departments.
Bloom has denied making any exaggerated claims about his betting operation's success, despite Dudfield's assertion that it generates £600 million a year. The businessman has also claimed that he was given £405,000 to settle a debt in 2018, which was set against his share of future winnings from the syndicate.
The case highlights the complex and often secretive nature of high-stakes betting operations, with some successful gamblers being forced to use "whales" or other people's identities to place bets. However, it appears that Bloom has taken steps to ensure that he operates within the law, albeit in a somewhat unorthodox manner.
The arrangement reportedly allowed the syndicate to earn $3.7 million in net winnings from August to December 2022, with Cottrell and another former employee, Ryan Dudfield, entitled to a share of the profits. However, Bloom claims that he was not obligated to pay Dudfield, who is suing him for allegedly owing him millions.
Dudfield has claimed that he thought the arrangement had ended in December 2022 but alleges that the syndicate continued to place bets through Cottrell up until October 2025, earning another $2.4 million in net winnings. The dispute has shed light on the secretive nature of Bloom's betting operations and the use of "exotic accounts" to circumvent restrictions on high-stakes betting.
According to the court document, only one of Cottrell's betting accounts was used before Dudfield "cashed out", while five others were used by Bloom after Dudfield had left employment with the syndicate. However, it is unclear how the syndicate operates and whether they use secret accounts or "information barriers" between departments.
Bloom has denied making any exaggerated claims about his betting operation's success, despite Dudfield's assertion that it generates £600 million a year. The businessman has also claimed that he was given £405,000 to settle a debt in 2018, which was set against his share of future winnings from the syndicate.
The case highlights the complex and often secretive nature of high-stakes betting operations, with some successful gamblers being forced to use "whales" or other people's identities to place bets. However, it appears that Bloom has taken steps to ensure that he operates within the law, albeit in a somewhat unorthodox manner.
...tony bloom is like, super rich and stuff, but somehow still gets sued by his old buddy george cottrell for some alleged debt? and it's all about this syndicate thing, where they're placing bets through these "exotic accounts" to avoid restrictions...i mean, i get that he's trying to operate within the law, but 600 million a year is like, what even is that? 
either way, this whole thing is a wild ride into the world of high-stakes betting, where guys like bloom get to play with other people's money and get away with it until someone catches them...oh wait, someone caught him 
anyway i guess its good that bloom is saying he did nothing wrong but it sounds super dodgy to me that there was an agreement in place without anyone knowing the details. Dudfield seems pretty legit tho and im rooting for him! 
good luck with your case dude 
. I mean, come on, he's got £600 million a year and he's just going to deny owing someone millions? That's just not right. And what's with the "exotic accounts" thing? Sounds like some shady business practices to me 
. On one hand, you've got to respect that this whole syndicate operation is pretty lucrative. But on the other hand, it's just not fair to everyone involved if they're not getting paid their share. I'm rooting for George Cottrell here 
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. And £600 million a year? That's just insane 
. It makes me wonder how many people are getting in on this high-stakes betting game and not even realizing it 
. Anyway, I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens next in this drama unfolding 
the whole thing just sounds super fishy to me. and what's with all these "exotic accounts" and "information barriers" between departments? sounds like some fancy bookkeeping to me 
how do we even know what's going on behind closed doors?
. But at the same time, it's also kinda impressive that Tony Bloom has managed to turn his fortunes around and is making a tidy profit 
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. But I guess when you're rolling in dough, you'll do whatever it takes to keep the money flowing