Sorare pleads not guilty against British Gambling Commission allegations

The fantasy sports platform delivered its plea at Birmingham Magistrates Court.

UK.- The fantasy sports operator Sorare has pleaded not guilty to charges of offering unlicensed gambling in Britain. The operator entered its plea at Birmingham Magistrates Court on Friday after charges were brought by the British Gambling Commission.

The British gambling regulator accuses France-based Sorare of “providing facilities for gambling without holding an operating licence”, putting it in breach of 2005 Gambling Act 2005. The regulator had begun an investigation in 2021 to determine whether the operator needed to have a gambling licence to offer its product.

Sorare’s offering involves the creation of virtual teams using digital cards, which can be bought with cryptocurrency. It has a significant presence in the UK thanks to an NFT deal with the English Premier League. It initially responded to the Gambling Commission’s charges by saying the regulator had “misunderstood our business and wrongly determined that gambling laws apply to Sorare.”

A pre-trial hearing is now set for March 10 2025, with the trial expected to commence on June 16.