NCA Freezes Approximately $13.5 Million in Premier League Account, Investigating Connection to Sorare Payments

Payments under Sorare's licensing agreement targeted

The UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) has frozen approximately £10 million (around 2.1 billion yen) held in a Premier League bank account, investigating its potential links to criminal activities by third parties.

The funds in question are reported to be payments made by the fantasy sports company Sorare, which utilizes blockchain technology, under a licensing agreement with the Premier League.

Account Freeze Order Issued in January 2025 to Prevent Fund Movement

The account freeze order was issued in January 2025 by the Westminster Magistrates' Court. The amount in question is £10,024,041.33, held in an account at Barclays Bank owned by the Football Association Premier League Limited (the professional league operating body).

The NCA explained that this order is to prevent the movement or dissipation of funds while investigating the potential link between the funds and criminal activities by third parties.

On the other hand, there are no allegations of wrongdoing against the Premier League itself, and this measure does not indicate any illegal activities by the Premier League.

In January 2023, Sorare signed a four-year licensing agreement involving digital cards featuring players from all 20 Premier League clubs. This contract is reported to be worth approximately £120 million (around 25.33 billion yen).

Investigation Separate from Unlicensed Gambling Prosecution

Sorare operates a fantasy sports platform that allows users to collect and trade blockchain-based digital player cards, which are used in competitions linked to the actual performance of players.

In 2024, the UK Gambling Commission charged the company for providing gambling facilities to UK consumers without obtaining the necessary operating license. However, the company denies that its services fall under gambling laws in the UK, and this case is scheduled for trial in June 2027.

However, the asset freeze by the NCA and the prosecution by the Gambling Commission are considered separate proceedings. Based on publicly available information, it cannot be concluded that the current account freeze order is based on the unlicensed gambling case.

Additionally, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) issued a warning in June 2026 to football clubs, including the Premier League, regarding sponsorship agreements with financial companies and cryptocurrency firms that are not licensed in the UK. However, this FCA measure is also considered separate from the NCA's current investigation.

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