The Premier League NCA investigation has seen £10 million frozen in a bank account linked to the top flight, as Britain’s National Crime Agency probes possible criminal links to payments made under a licensing deal with fantasy sports platform Sorare.
The freezing order was obtained in January 2025 but was disclosed only later, according to ICLG. Authorities acted to prevent the funds from being transferred while the inquiry continues.
The NCA said it is looking into possible links between Sorare’s payments under its licensing arrangement with the Premier League and alleged criminal activity by third parties. It did not specify what crimes are under examination.
Sorare denies involvement in Premier League NCA investigation
Sorare rejected any suggestion it is the focus of the probe. ‘Sorare is not the subject of an investigation by the National Crime Agency,’ a spokesperson said. ‘The freezing order reported in the press concerns funds held in an account which does not belong to Sorare, and Sorare is not a party to those proceedings.’
Chief executive Nicolas Julia echoed that position on social media, calling early reports ‘inaccurate’. The Premier League declined to comment.
The frozen sum represents the first payment Sorare made under a four-year partnership signed in 2023, worth $140 million, which granted the platform the right to release digital cards featuring players from all 20 Premier League clubs. Clubs were due to receive payments based on player card usage. The deal ran until the close of the 2025-26 football season.
Gambling Commission prosecution adds to Sorare’s legal pressures
The NCA action is separate from a prosecution brought by the Gambling Commission, which charged Sorare in September 2024 with offering gambling services without the required operating licence. It was the regulator’s first prosecution of a blockchain-based platform under the 2005 Gambling Act.
That case is now listed for trial in June 2027, according to ICLG. Sorare has denied wrongdoing.
The inquiry also follows a public warning from the Financial Conduct Authority to Premier League clubs about sponsorship deals with firms that lack authorisation to operate in the UK. ‘Clubs should not let unauthorised financial firms exploit that loyalty by putting potentially dodgy products in front of millions of fans,’ Lucy Castledine, the FCA’s director of consumer investments, said in a press release.
Founded in Paris in 2018, Sorare built its platform around blockchain-based digital player cards during the NFT boom. In 2021 it raised $680 million in a SoftBank-led round that valued it at $4.3 billion. Ambassadors for the platform have included Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Serena Williams.
