UKGC Takes Sorare to Court for Illegal Gambling

The United Kingdom’s Gambling Commission announced that it is taking the soccer-themed website Sorare.com to court. The company, which partners with the English Premier League, has been charged with the provision of “unlicensed gambling facilities to consumers in Britain.”

Sorare Under Regulatory Scrutiny

Sorare, for context, offers a crypto-based fantasy sports game. It was developed in 2018 and, like other similar products, allows players to assemble their dream team.

Sorare players can collect digital playing cards representing professional soccer players. Participants can assemble teams of five players using digital Ethereum-based playing cards. Sorare currently offers soccer, basketball and baseball-themed games.

While many sports fans have enjoyed the products offered by the company, some have questioned whether the game constitutes gambling or not.

The UKGC Is Taking Sorare to Court

The UKGC, in any case, has decided that Sorare is providing illegal gambling to British players and has taken the matter to court. It has been investigating the matter since 2021 when it first launched enquiries into the matter.

As part of the investigation, Sorare was handed a Freedom of Information request in July 2023.

In its latest update, the UKGC said that the platform offered gambling without holding an operating license, thus violating section 33(1), (4), and section 36(3), (3A) of the Gambling Act 2005.

In its official announcement, the British regulator noted that the hearing, which is being prosecuted by the commission itself, will take place at 10 am on October 4 at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court.

The UKGC concluded that it will not be commenting further on the case until its conclusion.

The UK Is Trying to Keep Illegal Operators at Bay

In other news, the UKGC just published its latest Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) statistics, outlining participation in gambling between January 2024 and April 2024. The regulator reported stable participation rates based on the responses of over 5,000 Brits across the country.

However, another recent report highlighted that many people in the UK are playing with unlicensed operators, resulting in a significant tax gap. In addition to taxation-related concerns, British authorities are concerned about the potential gambling harm that unlicensed operators, which are not obliged to maintain the same safer gambling protocols as their licensed counterparts.

In light of that, Entain, one of the United Kingdom’s biggest gambling operators, promoted stricter measures, citing a recent report compiled by Regulus Partners.