Political roulette
A document filed in the UK’s High Court has alleged a key player in Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party acted as a front for a VIP gambling syndicate closely linked to Brighton & Hove Albion FC owner Tony Bloom.
Amid Reform’s growing power in UK politics, the lawsuit filed against George Cottrell by Ryan Dudfield, naming Starlizard Betting Syndicate (SBS) and billionaire Bloom, gives the right-wing party unwanted exposure.
used the name “The Lizard”
According to Dudfield’s 19-page high court document, Cottrell acted as a “stalking horse” for SBS. Bloom allegedly used the name “The Lizard” and employed the likes of Cottrell, “footballers, sportsmen and businessmen” dubbed “whales,” to make big bets in their names.
As an ex associate of SBS, Dudfield’s suit claims a share of the syndicate’s estimated £189m ($250m) profits. SBS allegedly makes approximately £600m ($792m) annually in winnings.
Added pressure
The documents arrive under the UK media spotlight at possibly the worst time for a gambling industry trying to adjust to major tax hikes. Despite raising online tax to 40% and other hikes, MPs have called on this to go even higher, buoyed by reports of online gambling’s big profits over the last fiscal year and its £2bn ($2.3bn) in ad spending.
Enter SBS, a collective allegedly run by successful sharps like Bloom who can often only place their mega bets in someone else’s name.
The document claims that Cottrell “had given control of his betting accounts to Mr. Bloom and the Syndicate so that it was not necessary for bets to be sent to Mr. Cottrell for him to place.”
“substantial profits” on mostly soccer games.
The sports bets were placed using accounts with offshore crypto casino giant Stake and allegedly made “substantial profits” on mostly soccer games.
Awaiting a response
Dudfield claims he could be owed £13.2m ($17.5m) from a profit-share entitling him to 7% of SBS’s winnings. He also claims that he was lied to by Bloom’s key associates, who told him Cottrell’s betting accounts had “ceased,” when they hadn’t.
According to The Guardian, Bloom has yet to respond with any form of defense against the claims.
