British Authorities Seize $13.5M in Investigation of Sorare, Premier League's Crypto Partner
Premier League football clubs in the United Kingdom find themselves facing renewed examination over their connections to cryptocurrency sponsors, with the latest incident centered on allegations that Sorare operated gambling services without proper licensing.
Britain's National Crime Agency (NCA) has frozen approximately 10 million pounds, equivalent to roughly $13.5 million, in connection with an ongoing investigation targeting online sports platform Sorare, according to reports.
A Monday report published by British news publication The Sun revealed that the NCA initiated an investigation into Sorare following allegations that the company engaged in unlicensed gambling operations. Sorare operates a blockchain-based platform for digital trading cards and entered into a four-year sponsorship agreement with the Premier League worth $162 million in 2023, though this partnership was discontinued when last season concluded.
According to The Sun's reporting, the NCA secured the freeze of $13.5 million in cash after obtaining an order from the Westminster magistrates' court in January 2025. A representative from the agency was quoted as stating that the purpose of the order was "to prevent dissipation of the funds while the NCA investigates any potential links between those funds and alleged third-party criminality."
Earlier this year in June, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) of the United Kingdom disclosed that it had dispatched correspondence to Premier League football clubs, issuing warnings regarding "questionable sponsorship deals" involving organizations lacking proper authorization to conduct business within the nation, including entities connected to the cryptocurrency sector.
Several Premier League clubs have entered into sponsorship arrangements with cryptocurrency-related companies for the current season, such as the partnership between stablecoin provider Circle and Chelsea, as well as the deal between cryptocurrency exchange OKX and Manchester City. Nevertheless, the overall volume of sponsorship agreements between cryptocurrency firms and athletic organizations worldwide has experienced a notable decrease since 2022, following the market collapse and growing apprehension about maintaining public associations with the cryptocurrency industry.