It’s always interesting to hear peoples’ opinions.
A number of people, out of the blue, have said how not only do they admire Tony Bloom but he is their hero.
Much of his life is veiled in mystery. But much is there to be seen. But what are we to make of this self-made billionaire? You don’t make that kind of money without being an exceptional businessman. What’s more amazing is that he has made most of his money from gambling.
This was inspired by his grandad who enjoyed a bet on the greyhounds.
Tony Bloom’s gambling story dates back to 1985, as a fresh faced 15-year-old he visited his local betting shop in Brighton using a fake ID.
What sets Bloom apart from your average gambler is his love of mathematics. In fact, he gained a degree from Manchester University. It is a subject he used throughout his life in both business and gambling.
In the early years of his career, he started work with Ernst and Young as an accountant. This along side his gambling saw him build a bankroll of 20K.
For a short while [6 months] he worked as an options trader but hated trading his time for money. From that moment, he decided to become a professional gambler.
In fact, winning money from Victor Chandler (Bet Victor) got him a job he couldn’t refuse as head of setup for Asian operations. This position would give him valued skills in his gambling career but for the moment he was working for a bookmaker and learning Asian handicapping and living a jet-set lifestyle.
Bloom, as known as The Lizard, was very knowledgable about football and especially informing Victor Chandler about the 1998 World Cup. It is said that Chandler won a significant amount of money over this period.
France beating Brazil 3-0 was a big money spinner for the firm.
It also showed the world that Bloom had talents for understanding football.
Bloom’s understanding of Asian handicapping inspired his entrepreneurial spirit, starting up a business called Premier Bet, the first on the market to use the Asian Handicapping System. He went on to sell this business. With the rise in internet gambling websites and platforms, he invested heavily. This was much to do with the success of American poker player Chris Moneymaker who won the 2003 World Series of Poker who become a world champion after qualifying via an online poker website.
Investing his profits, Bloom setup two poker sites: St Minver and Tribeca Tables.
This venture was influenced by Tony Bloom’s love of poker. He said: ‘Poker gives you a good grounding in lots of things, including reading situations and reading people and making tough decisions. Those skills can be used in business and in running a football club.’
Born in Brighton, in 1970, he never forgot his roots.
In fact, many fans of Bloom would have first heard of him when becoming chairman of Brighton Football Club in 2009 although he was associated with this south coast outfit many years before (2000). Originally investing £93 million, his fortunes allowed him to add over £400 million of his own money to secure the future of this nomadic club which was on the brink of collapse.
‘But what about Starlizard?’ I hear you say.
This betting consultancy is very much a secret in the amount of money it makes but profits are substantial. It has been claimed as much as £100 million a year. In fact, the two string service is prohibitively expensive with £14 million made in annual subscriptions alone. Total annual wagers on Asian Markets (mainly football bets) total over £3 billion.
His success is coined in this simple maxim: ‘We answer the most interesting questions in sport.’
‘We take analysis of sport into a completely different league. Through a combination of innovation and critical thought, we make the best sporting predictions in the world.’
For all of his wealth, Bloom remains a very likeable man although he respects his privacy. He is married with a son.
Alongside his business and gambling interests, he has a passion for horse racing. He found success with Penhill, trained by Willie Mullins, who who is a dual Cheltenham winner before retiring in 2020.
Tony Bloom is one of few professional gamblers and business men to become a billionaire and respected within the industry.