EPL Club Owner Tony Bloom Admits Using Proxy Betting Account in £13M Lawsuit
- 26 Jan 2026
- Gambling News
The English Premier League club owner, sports bettor, and poker player Tony Bloom has acknowledged that his betting syndicate, StarLizard, used a proxy account to put millions of pounds in bets. The owner of that account was George Cottrell, a former fraudster and advisor to Nigel Farage, the head of the right-wing populist Reform Party in the United Kingdom.
Bloom, however, disputes that he owes Ryan Dudfield, a former StarLizard employee who sued the billionaire in London's High Court in December 2025, £13.1 million (US$17.5 million).
According to Dudfield, he should have received 7% of the winnings from wagers made using George Cottrell's accounts. 60% of returns went to the syndicate, 33% to Cottrell, and 7% to Dudfield under the terms of the lawsuit.
Payment for Nuisance
Bloom acknowledged the existence of the profit-share agreement in a court statement on Friday, but asserted that After Dudfield "cashed out" his position in December 2022, he received a £60K (US$82K) "nuisance payment" in July 2023.
“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,” the filing read.
The case provides a unique and intriguing look into the inner workings of StarLizard, one of the most lucrative and covert betting syndicates in the world. It was so successful that Bloom was able to buy Brighton & Hove Albion, the soccer team he had always supported.
According to Dudfield's lawsuit, it demonstrates how StarLizard recruits affluent frontmen who have a track record of failing at gambling, such as "footballers, sportsmen, and businessmen," to place bets.
Rich losers make an ideal front for Bloom's syndicate since sportsbooks frequently won't accept wagers from profitable gamblers, and their betting accounts are highly prized.
Enter Cottrell, the slouched grandson of a British baron, who was introduced to StarLizard by Dudfield in exchange for a share of the earnings after he supposedly lost $20 million playing poker in one night.
Gold-Dust Account
After being apprehended in an FBI sting in which he marketed money-laundering services on the dark web, Cottrell was sentenced to eight months in a US jail for wire fraud in 2016. However, he was also a very important part of StarLizard.
Accounts such as Cottrell's are treasure troves within the syndicate. The complaint claims that these accounts, known as "secret exotic accounts," are meticulously managed from its Canary Wharf offices in London.
Bloom's defense contends that after paying out in 2022, Dudfield had no claim, but the syndicate allegedly kept betting through Cottrell until October 2025, earning an additional $2.4 million. The complaint stated that Cottrell, not Bloom, would be liable for any money owing.
