Premier League has £10m frozen as Sorare investigation deepens
More than £10m of Premier League funds linked to its former Sorare licensing agreement will remain frozen for another four months as UK and Luxembourg authorities investigate the fantasy football company, adding financial and regulatory fallout to a deal once worth £120m.
More than £10m belonging to the Premier League will remain frozen after a court extended restrictions on funds received through the league’s former licensing deal with fantasy football platform Sorare.The National Crime Agency is investigating Sorare alongside authorities in Luxembourg over its digital player-card business and whether activity on the platform constituted unlicensed gambling in Britain.Westminster Magistrates’ Court extended the freeze for a further four months on £10,024,041 plus accrued interest held in a Premier League bank account.District Judge Sam Goozee said the measure was “necessary and proportionate” to prevent the dissipation of funds while the investigation continues.The judge also made clear there was no suggestion that the Premier League itself had engaged in unlawful conduct and said the organisation had expected Sorare to operate lawfully under the licensing agreement.The Premier League announced a four-year deal with Sorare in January 2023, reportedly worth £120m, making the company its official Fantasy Football NFT licensee.Sorare allowed users to buy digital player cards by credit card or cryptocurrency and resell them to other users, with different scarcity levels attached to cards.The Gambling Commission began examining the business in 2021 and later charged Sorare with three offences relating to the alleged provision of unlicensed gambling facilities to British consumers.Sorare has pleaded not guilty, with a trial scheduled for June 2027.The court also heard that Sorare still owes the Premier League £7.5m relating to the 2025-26 season, with the payment outstanding for more than a year.After learning of the Gambling Commission charges in 2024, the Premier League began moving Sorare-related payments into a ring-fenced account and subsequently made an authorised disclosure to the UK Financial Intelligence Unit.Representing the NCA, Andrew Bird KC said the Premier League had “done the right things”, including segregating the money and filing a suspicious activity report.The case highlights the financial and regulatory risks attached to football’s expansion into crypto, NFTs and other emerging digital categories, where rights holders have pursued new revenue streams while legal frameworks have continued to evolve.The Premier League must also pay £20,187 in NCA costs following the latest hearing, while the £10m-plus freeze will remain in place as investigators continue examining Sorare’s activities.