NFT Sports Game Company Sorare Charged with Providing Unlicensed Gambling Facilities: UK Gambling Commission

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Key Points:

• Sorare, a blockchain-based fantasy soccer game company, has been charged with providing unlicensed gambling facilities in the UK.
• This is the first time the UK Gambling Commission has prosecuted a blockchain-based platform, setting a potential precedent for future cases.

Sorare, a France-based company, offers fantasy sports games that allow players to buy and sell NFT-based collectible cards. The company has contracts with sports associations worldwide, including the English Premier League and the German Bundesliga.

The UK Gambling Commission has charged Sorare with providing gambling facilities without obtaining an operating license. The company must appear at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on October 4.

The charges result from a nearly three-year investigation by the commission. In 2021, the Gambling Commission announced that it was investigating whether Sorare required a gambling license.

This case marks a new sign that UK regulators are taking a tougher stance against suspected illegal activities in the crypto asset field. The outcome could set a precedent for how the commission treats Web3 companies in the future.

A Sorare spokesperson denied the claims, stating, “We categorically deny any claim that Sorare constitutes a gambling product under UK law. The Commission misunderstood our business and incorrectly determined that gambling laws apply to Sorare.”