The UK's National Crime Agency has frozen $13.6 million held in a Premier League bank account under the Proceeds of Crime Act, according to reporting by The Sun. The funds were frozen following an order obtained from Westminster magistrates' court in January 2025.
The frozen money represents the opening payment from Sorare, a cryptocurrency-based fantasy soccer card game, under a four-year sponsorship deal announced in January 2023. The agreement was valued at approximately $41 million annually, or $163 million across its full term, though neither party publicly disclosed the amount at the time. The sponsorship ended after the 2025-26 season.
An NCA spokesperson stated the freezing order was intended "to prevent dissipation of the funds while the NCA investigates any potential links between those funds and alleged third-party criminality." The order runs until September 14, and the Premier League is due in court seeking to vary it.
The Premier League declined to comment but indicated no wrongdoing on its part. According to The Sun, the organization's most recent accounts show reserves exceeding $2 billion.
Separate Gambling Prosecution
Sorare faces a separate legal challenge from the Gambling Commission, which charged the company in September 2024 with providing gambling facilities without an operating licence under the Gambling Act 2005. The regulator's investigation began in 2021, marking the first enforcement action against a blockchain-based platform.
Sorare entered not-guilty pleas to all three counts at Birmingham magistrates' court in October 2024. Trial is scheduled for June 2027, having been delayed from its original June 2026 date.
The company told The Sun it cannot comment on the freezing order but stated the Premier League contract expired as scheduled. Regarding the prosecution, Sorare said it "firmly" denies operating a gambling product under UK law, asserting the game rewards skill rather than chance and that the Gambling Commission has "misunderstood our business."
Regulatory Scrutiny
The Financial Conduct Authority wrote to Premier League clubs in June warning that sponsorship deals with unauthorised crypto firms could breach financial services laws. Lucy Castledine, the FCA's director of consumer investments, cautioned that clubs "should not let unauthorised financial firms exploit that loyalty by putting potentially dodgy products in front of millions of fans."
