Who is Tony Bloom and what is his net worth?

CHELTENHAM Festival makes its return to our TV screens this week with all the runners and riders gunning for glory.

One man who will have his keen eye on the races is Tony Bloom, who has previously been dubbed the ‘Godfather of Gambling’.

GettyTony Bloom celebrated Brighton’s promotion to the Premier League in 2017[/caption]

Bloom’s favoured horse Energumene aims to win another Champion Chase this week at Prestbury Park.

But what else do we know about Bloom and his massive fortune?

Who is Tony Bloom, how did he make his money?

Bloom is best known as the owner of Brighton & Hove Albion, which he acquired in 2009, taking a 75 per cent share.

But it was as a gambler where Bloom’s money-making began.

As a youngster, Bloom would use fake IDs to enter bookies and place bets, but he would also frequent at amusement arcades.

Eventually, Bloom manoeuvred himself into the world of professional poker, where he would end up winning a reported £2million.

“Poker gives you a good grounding in lots of things, including reading situations and reading people and making tough decisions,” Bloom has said about his time playing poker.

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“Poker used to be late nights, people in dimly lit rooms smoking and drinking. And though that still happens a little bit, it’s become a lot more mainstream.”

Bloom went on to start his own betting consultancy firm called Starlizard, which turns over around £100million per year.

Now worth a whopping £1.3billion, Bloom has invested hundreds of millions into Brighton, funding their promotion to the Premier League and their hunt for European football.

Bloom’s horse Energumene is trained by Willie Mullins, and could be another big win for the 52-year-old this week.