Brighton & Hove Albion owner Tony Bloom has been accused of operating a secret gambling syndicate worth $800.8M. The allegations were made in a claim filed at London's High Court by a former employee of Starlizard, a betting advisory company owned by Bloom. The claim alleges that Bloom controls the 'Tony Bloom Betting Syndicate,' which has over 100 members that he invites personally to join. The syndicate is said to have agreed with George Cottrell, a former aide to Nigel Farage, to use his offshore gaming accounts to place bets on sporting fixtures, predominantly football matches. Cottrell has previously been jailed for money laundering in the U.S. The claim also alleges that Ryan Dudfield, a former employee of Starlizard, is owed $23.3M of the profits made via Cottrell's accounts after introducing the political aide to the syndicate. Evidence submitted as part of the claim includes a list of bets which Dudfield suggests may be linked to the Bloom syndicate, some of which are said to be on Premier League matches. The FA policy does not permit participants to place bets on matches or competitions involving their own clubs, meaning Bloom is not allowed to bet on Brighton games, any other Premier League game, or matches in knockout competitions involving Premier League teams.