Premier League’s £10m Freeze Exposes Gambling Licence Gap
More than £10 million sitting in a Premier League bank account will remain frozen for at least another four months, after Westminster Magistrates’ Court granted the National Crime Agency (NCA) an extension on Friday. The money is tied to the league’s former digital fantasy football partner, Sorare.com, which UK and Luxembourg authorities are investigating over suspected unlicensed gambling activity.
What’s actually changed
The National Crime Agency and Luxembourg authorities are investigating French company Sorare.com, which previously held a licence to trade digital Premier League player cards.
In January last year, the NCA secured a court order to freeze £10,024,041.33 held by the league.
A further four-month freeze was granted at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday, the licence having been due to expire the following Monday and after a request from the NCA.
District Judge Sam Goozee ruled that
the freezing of accounts is necessary and proportionate to prevent dissipation of funds which are suspected to be the fruits of criminal conduct and enable proper investigation by the authorities.
Importantly for the league itself,
he found no suggestion that the league “themselves engaged in unlawful conduct”, and said it had expected Sorare to act lawfully within the terms of the licence agreement.
The timeline set out in court shows the Gambling Commission’s concerns predate the commercial deal itself.
The Premier League knew in October 2021 that the Gambling Commission was scrutinising Sorare after a statement appeared on the regulator’s website, with inquiries focused on whether the firm’s services constituted gambling requiring an official operating licence.
Court proceedings heard that the league subsequently met with Sorare and received a summary of its legal advice.
Despite this,
in January 2023, the Premier League agreed a £120 million four-year contract with Sorare
, describing the collectible digital cards as giving fans a closer connection to the competition.
The situation escalated further after the deal was signed.
Around 18 months later, Sorare informed the league it faced three Gambling Commission charges for operating unlicensed gambling facilities, with trial set for June 2027.
The judge noted that
Sorare’s activities have continued in Great Britain since the date of the charges
, and that
the Premier League continued to receive funds into the account until June 2025.
What it means for you
For everyday fans and account holders, this case is not about a personal gambling account being frozen — it’s a reminder of how far unlicensed activity can spread through the sport before it’s stopped. If you signed up to Sorare’s fantasy card game believing it was a straightforward collectibles product, this case suggests the Gambling Commission viewed it differently, and its legality is now a live question before the courts. Anyone with funds, prizes or NFT-style assets tied up in Sorare should treat the ongoing investigation as a reason for caution, since the case is far from resolved and a trial isn’t listed until 2027.
More broadly, it underlines why checking whether a betting, prize-draw or “collectible” platform actually holds a UK Gambling Commission licence matters — regulatory status is not always obvious from branding or sponsorship prominence alone.
The bigger picture
This case lands amid growing scrutiny of the gap between elite football’s commercial deals and UK gambling licensing rules. It echoes concerns already raised about Premier League clubs signing shirt and sleeve sponsorship deals with operators that lack a UK Gambling Commission licence, and shows that scrutiny isn’t limited to shirt sponsors — it can reach into official league-level partnerships too. The Sorare case suggests that even sophisticated sports institutions can find themselves entangled in enforcement action once a partner’s licensing status is challenged, reinforcing calls from campaigners and regulators for tighter due diligence before such deals are signed.
Sources
- Yahoo Sports – Over £10 million of Premier League funds to stay frozen amid criminal probe into ex-fantasy football partner
- Enfield Independent – Premier League’s £10m to stay frozen as police probe ex-fantasy football partner
- Perspective Media – Premier League’s £10m to stay frozen as police probe ex-fantasy football partner
