Westminster Magistrates’ Court extended the freeze on £10,024,041.33 held by the Premier League on 11 September 2026. The order brings renewed scrutiny to Sorare’s unresolved gambling prosecution in Great Britain.

The National Crime Agency secured the extension while investigating whether the funds could be linked to suspected criminal conduct involving third parties. The court action does not accuse the Premier League of wrongdoing.

The freeze investigation and Sorare’s gambling prosecution are separate legal matters. Neither has established criminal wrongdoing by the Premier League or resolved the allegations against Sorare.

Two separate legal matters

The account-freezing case concerns money held by The Football Association Premier League Limited. District Judge Sam Goozee said the order was necessary and proportionate to prevent the suspected proceeds from being moved while the investigation continues.

The order is not a criminal conviction. It also does not determine whether Sorare breached British gambling law.

Sorare faces a separate prosecution brought by the Gambling Commission. The regulator alleges that Sorare provided gambling facilities to consumers in Great Britain without the operating licence required under the Gambling Act 2005.

Trial postponed to June 2027

The Gambling Commission first published a warning about Sorare on 8 October 2021. It said the platform was available to consumers in Great Britain but was not licensed by the regulator.

The Commission later charged Sorare with providing facilities for gambling without an operating licence. The trial was initially listed for 15 June 2026 at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court.

On 18 May 2026, the Commission confirmed that the trial had been postponed to 7 June 2027, also at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court. The prosecution remains unresolved.

Why the Premier League connection matters

The court proceedings have placed the league’s commercial relationship with Sorare under scrutiny. The Premier League agreed a four-year deal worth £120 million with the digital fantasy football company in January 2023.

The arrangement allowed Sorare to use digital cards featuring Premier League players. The league continued receiving money linked to the arrangement until June 2025, according to evidence reported from the Westminster hearing.

The Independent reported that the Premier League knew in October 2021 that the Gambling Commission was examining whether Sorare’s services amounted to gambling. The league later received a summary of Sorare’s legal advice, which maintained that its contests were not gambling.

Judge Goozee said the advice warned that it should not be relied on by third parties. The judge also found no suggestion that the Premier League itself had engaged in unlawful conduct.

What happens next

  • The frozen funds remain subject to the National Crime Agency investigation.
  • Sorare’s Gambling Commission prosecution is scheduled for trial on 7 June 2027 unless the case changes earlier.
  • The court’s findings do not establish criminal wrongdoing by the Premier League.
  • The gambling case concerns activity available to consumers in Great Britain. It is not a ruling on gambling regulation in Northern Ireland or other jurisdictions.

The two cases create separate legal tests for the football and gambling industries. The first concerns the possible origin of funds. The second will examine whether Sorare’s fantasy contests required a British operating licence.