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According to Decrypt, the UK National Crime Agency (NCA) froze approximately $13.6 million (around £10.02 million) in Barclays' account for the Premier League under the Proceeds of Crime Act. This amount represents the initial sponsorship payment made by crypto fantasy football card game Sorare to the Premier League, stemming from a four-year sponsorship agreement worth roughly $163 million (£120 million) signed by both parties in January 2023. The NCA stated that the freeze was implemented to prevent the transfer of funds while investigating its link to "potential third-party criminal activity," with the Premier League itself facing no allegations of misconduct. Concurrently, Sorare is confronting a separate prosecution from the UK Gambling Commission, which alleges it provided gambling services without a valid operating license. The trial has been postponed until June 2027. Sorare denies that its product falls under gambling regulations, firmly asserting that gameplay is centered on skill rather than chance.
Odaily News The UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) has frozen over $13.6 million in funds held in Barclays bank accounts belonging to The Football Association Premier League Limited, the operating entity of the Premier League. The agency obtained a court order from Westminster Magistrates' Court in January 2025, freezing the funds under the Proceeds of Crime Act.The funds represent the first installment of a four-year sponsorship agreement with Sorare, announced in January 2023, which allowed Sorare to issue digital player cards for the 20 Premier League clubs. Sorare's partnership with the Premier League has concluded as of the 2025-26 season.Sorare also faces prosecution by the UK Gambling Commission, accused of offering gambling facilities without an operating license. The company has entered three not-guilty pleas, with the trial scheduled for June 2027. Sorare maintains that its game rewards skill rather than chance and denies that it constitutes a gambling product under UK law. (Decrypt)