Tony Bloom, a minority shareholder at Heart of Midlothian, has issued a statement in response to allegations that he was a part of a £600 million betting syndicate.

Bloom, who also owns Brighton & Hove Albion, made the statement on the English Premier League team’s website.

“Following an inaccurate and misleading report in The Guardian earlier this evening, I can categorically assure our supporters that I have not placed bets on any Brighton & Hove Albion matches since becoming the owner of the club in 2009,” claimed the owner.

“In addition to new betting regulations, the FA implemented a policy in 2014 that included extremely burdensome conditions for football club owners who had an interest in betting. Under some restrictions, these regulations let some football club owners, like myself, to keep placing football wagers.

Specifically, the policy prohibits me from placing a wager on any game or tournament that Brighton & Hove Albion participates in.

“Since 2014, I have consistently complied with these requirements, and every year, one of the top accounting firms in the world audits all of my football wagers to make sure that The FA’s regulation is strictly followed.

“This evening, attorneys representing me got in touch with The Guardian immediately to clarify my stance on this completely unfounded accusation.

“Separately, our club is in direct contact with both The Football Association and The Premier League regarding this matter.”

Over the summer, Bloom purchased a 29% share in Hearts. The team signs players using his Jamestown Analytics approach.