More than £10m ($13.5m) held by the Premier League will remain frozen for another four months as authorities continue an international criminal investigation connected to former fantasy sports partner Sorare.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) obtained an account freezing order in January 2026 covering £10,024,041.33 plus accrued interest. Westminster Magistrates’ Court has now extended that order following an application by the agency, while the NCA and authorities in Luxembourg continue their investigation.
District Judge Sam Goozee said the measure was necessary to prevent funds suspected of being proceeds of criminal conduct from being dissipated. However, the court found no suggestion that the Premier League itself had engaged in unlawful conduct.
The dispute follows several years of scrutiny over Sorare’s regulatory status in Great Britain. The Gambling Commission began examining whether Sorare’s services constituted gambling in 2021. It subsequently charged the Paris-based fantasy sports operator with providing gambling facilities without an operating licence under the Gambling Act 2005.
Sorare entered a four-year agreement with the Premier League in 2023, reportedly worth £120m, allowing it to produce licensed digital player cards for its fantasy football platform.
The court heard that the Premier League continued receiving payments until June 2025 and that Sorare still owes £7.5m relating to the 2025/26 season.
The Gambling Commission prosecution remains separate from the NCA investigation. Sorare’s trial at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court, previously scheduled for June 2026, has been postponed until 7 June 2027.
The case also comes as scrutiny of gambling relationships in English football increases. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has consulted on making it a criminal offence for sporting organisations to advertise or accept sponsorship from gambling operators without a Gambling Commission licence. Its preferred implementation date is August 2027, ahead of the 2027/28 football season.
Sorare continues to operate its fantasy sports platform while the proceedings remain unresolved. During 2026 it has introduced new game formats and updated its football product, including its Sorare Set format and the Sorare 27 season.
In July, Entain backed the Government’s proposed restrictions on unlicensed gambling sponsorships and called on the Premier League and other sporting bodies to end such commercial relationships voluntarily ahead of legislation.
Sorare’s Gambling Commission trial is scheduled to begin at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on 7 June 2027. The regulator first publicly confirmed its prosecution of Sorare in September 2024
