UK crime agency freezes $13.5 million in Sorare probe after Premier League crypto sponsor deal ended

The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) has reportedly frozen 10 million pounds, or about $13.5 million, as part of an investigation into online sports company Sorare. For PSPs and banks, the useful part here is not the football gloss but the regulatory signal: UK authorities are still looking hard at crypto-linked sponsorships and whether the underlying activity fits local rules.

1. According to a Monday report from The Sun, the NCA was probing Sorare over claims of unlicensed gambling. Sorare is the company behind digital trading cards on the blockchain.
2. The Sun said the cash freeze followed a January 2025 order from the Westminster magistrates’ court. A spokesperson reportedly said the order was meant “to prevent dissipation of the funds while the NCA investigates any potential links between those funds and alleged third-party criminality.”
3. Sorare had signed a four-year, $162-million partnership deal with the Premier League in 2023, but that agreement was terminated at the end of last season. That makes this less about sports marketing and more about what happens when a sponsor sits close to regulated activity and the structure does not survive scrutiny.
4. In June, the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) sent letters to Premier League clubs warning about “questionable sponsorship deals” with companies not authorized to operate in the country, including crypto-related firms. In other words: if a brand is not authorized, the sponsorship may still be the first thing regulators notice.
5. Some Premier League clubs still have crypto-related sponsors for the upcoming season, including stablecoin issuer Circle for Chelsea and the OKX exchange for Manchester City. At the same time, the number of sponsorship deals between crypto companies and sports teams globally has reportedly declined since 2022 after the market downturn and concerns over public ties to the industry.