SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Fantasy sport crypto platform Sorare has pleaded not guilty after the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) accused the company of unlicensed gambling activity in the UK.
Earlier last week, the UKGC accused the football-themed NFT platform – partner of the Premier League – of breaching the Gambling Act 2005 by “providing facilities for gambling without holding an operating licence”.
Sorare immediately issued a statement, saying that it is “aware of the claims made by the Gambling Commission” and that it will seek to challenge them in court to “deny any claims that Sorare is a gambling product under UK laws.
“The Commission has misunderstood our business and wrongly determined that gambling laws apply to Sorare. We cannot comment further whilst legal proceedings are underway.”
Today, 4 October, the company doubled down by pleading not guilty at the Birmingham Magistrates Court. A pre-trial hearing has been scheduled for 10 March 2025, with the trial resuming on 16 June.
Sorare allows players to take control of a virtual team consisting of digital cards – each purchasable with cryptocurrency.
The UKGC first took interest in the French company back in 2021 when it launched an investigation to determine whether Sorare is required to have a licence to offer its services – a development which culminated with the most recent court case.
