UK Crime Agency Freezes $13.6 Million Premier League Payment Linked to Sorare

Sorare operates a fantasy football game built around tradable digital player cards. The Premier League announced a four-year licensing agreement with the company in January 2023, covering all 20 clubs. The scrutiny tests how proceeds-of-crime controls apply when major sports bodies receive money from crypto businesses, while sharpening debate over whether products presented as skill-based games fall within Britain’s gambling regime.

Britain’s National Crime Agency obtained an account-freezing order from Westminster Magistrates’ Court in January 2025 under the Proceeds of Crime Act, blocking £10,024,041.33 ($13.6 million) in a Premier League Barclays account. The agency is examining possible links between the funds and alleged third-party criminality; no wrongdoing by the league has been alleged. The Premier League is due to seek changes to the order on Sept. 7, 2026, before it expires Sept. 14. Separately, Sorare faces a June 2027 trial over allegedly providing gambling facilities without a licence.