UK Freezes $13.6M Premier League Sorare Sponsorship Funds Amid Gambling Probe
The National Crime Agency seized the first payment of a crypto fantasy soccer sponsorship deal as Sorare faces separate charges for running gambling without a license.
NCA Freezes Premier League Sponsorship Payment
The UK’s National Crime Agency has seized $13.6 million sitting in a Premier League bank account under the Proceeds of Crime Act. According to the NCA, the freeze was authorized by Westminster magistrates’ court in January 2025 to prevent the dissipation of assets while investigators examine potential connections between the funds and alleged third-party criminal conduct.
The confiscated sum represents the initial installment of a four-year sponsorship arrangement with Sorare, an Ethereum-based fantasy soccer card platform. Announced in January 2023, the deal was valued at roughly $41 million annually, or $163 million over its full term. Under the sponsorship, Sorare obtained rights to issue digital collectible cards representing players from all 20 Premier League clubs, with individual clubs compensated based on how frequently their player cards were traded. The arrangement concluded following the 2025-26 season.
The Premier League, which maintains reserves exceeding $2 billion, plans to petition the court to modify the freeze order, currently set to expire in mid-September. The agency has stated there is no indication of wrongdoing by the Premier League itself.
Sorare Confronts Separate Gambling Charges
The NCA action compounds legal difficulties for Sorare, which faces prosecution from the UK Gambling Commission. In September 2024, the regulator charged the blockchain-based platform with operating gambling services without proper licensing, contrary to the Gambling Act 2005. This represented the Gambling Commission’s first enforcement action against a blockchain gaming platform, an area the regulator has increasingly scrutinized.
Trial is scheduled for June 2026. The prosecution centers on whether Sorare’s digital card-trading mechanics constitute gambling under UK regulatory frameworks—a question gaining prominence as blockchain technology reshapes entertainment and gaming sectors.
The Platform’s Rise and Backing
Founded in 2018, Sorare initially operated as a crypto-exclusive marketplace where users connected digital wallets to buy and sell cards using Ethereum or Solana tokens. The platform expanded to accept traditional payment methods in August 2023. The Premier League has highlighted partnerships with prominent figures including Lionel Messi, Zinedine Zidane, Kylian Mbappé, Rio Ferdinand, and Serena Williams as investors and brand ambassadors. During a 2021 funding round led by SoftBank, Sorare secured a $4.3 billion valuation.
The freeze and prosecution underscore mounting regulatory pressure on blockchain-based gaming platforms. As major sports institutions face legal exposure from crypto partnerships, the industry must prioritize regulatory compliance to secure mainstream institutional backing. Regulatory clarity around blockchain gaming—even when restrictive—strengthens the crypto market by incentivizing compliance-first platforms and weeding out operators that ignore licensing requirements.
Source: UK National Crime Agency, via Decrypt. Not financial advice.