Tony Bloom, the billionaire owner of Brighton & Hove Albion FC, is facing questions over claims he was an anonymous gambler behind $70m (£52m) in winnings – which allegedly included bets on his football teams.

Bloom – one of the world’s most successful professional gamblers – is claimed to be the “John Doe” referred to in a US legal case that tried to unmask who has benefited from the lucrative winning streak.

Approached by the Guardian, Bloom declined to answer whether he was the “John Doe” in the court filing issued earlier this year. Bloom denied betting on his own teams or competitions that involve them, and a source close to him described the allegations as “entirely false”.

MPs, including the former shadow sports minister Clive Efford, called on the Football Association (FA) to in

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