January 13, 2025 3 min read

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Poker Pro-Led Consortium to Buy Dunfermline Athletic

The involved parties are set to meet this week to potentially complete the agreement

A consortium of investors led by a poker professional is negotiating to acquire Dunfermline Athletic, a Scottish Championship soccer club. The deal is expected to be signed this week but will need approval from The Scottish Football Association (SFA).

Bord Pursues DAFC Fussball’s 75% Stake in the Club

The consortium interested in Dunfermline Athletic is led by none other than James Bord, a World Series of Poker Europe winner and a prominent poker player. His group, which also includes US investors Wai Yin Kelly Kung and Justin Royce Harkema, seeks to acquire the 75% stake in the soccer club owned by the German investment group DAFC Fussball.

In August 2024, DAFC Fussball put its stake in Dunfermline Athletic for sale and, shortly after that, Bord’s consortium emerged as the preferred bidder. The German group has owned a majority stake in the club since 2020 when it secured its initial 30% stake.

As mentioned, the deal will require the approval of the SFA before it can proceed. The involved parties are set to meet this week to complete the agreement. Experts believe that the SFA will greenlight the agreement, which would enhance Bord’s investment portfolio. For context, his consortium already owns a stake in the Spanish La Liga 2 club Cordoba.

Bord Might Have Been Inspired by Other Investors

Bord, for context, won WSOP Europe in 2010, securing some $1.1 million. While he is best known for his passion for poker, Bord is also an experienced finance expert who left a career as a banker to explore opportunities in poker and wagering.

Bord is the founder of Short Circuit Science, a company that harnesses AI to analyze sports. He also ran the Poker Farm, a company dedicated to player training.

In the past, Bord worked with fellow poker player Tony Bloom, the man behind the gambling advisory company Star Lizard. The latter company made its founder rich, leading him to purchase Brighton FC – his favorite soccer team as a kid. Bloom’s leadership allowed the club to penetrate into the Premier League.

Bord later joined a sports betting fund operated by Matthew Benham, who also bought his favorite team, Brentford FC, also propelling it into the EPL.

It is possible that Bord’s ambitions for Dunfermline Athletic might be similar, considering his shared past with Blom and Benham.

Poker Pro Suspected of Murder

While some poker players focus on investing their winnings into lucrative initiatives, others do not follow the same path. Craig Michael Bergeron, a prominent poker player who has been absent from the scene for five years, was recently charged with murder.

Bergeron, who is believed to have struggled with mental illness, shared videos in the hours leading to the murder. The disturbing footage highlights paranoid ramblings, providing the mental illness theory with further credibility.

Fellow poker players regretted that a man whom they knew as a “gentle giant” and a caring friend had ended up killing someone.

Journalist

Although Fiona doesn't have a long-spanning background within the gambling industry, she is an incredibly skilled journalist who has built a strong interest in the constantly growing iGaming network. The team at Gambling News is glad to have her on our roster to help deliver the best stories as soon as they hit. Aside from writing, she loves to dabble in online casino games such as slots and roulette, both for her own enjoyment and also as research to better improve her understanding of the industry.

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