Sorare Under Investigation for Operating Unlicensed Gambling Platform

Updated by Kyle Baird
In Brief
  • NFT Fantasy Football platform Sorare is under investigation by the UK Gambling Commission.
  • Regulators are looking into whether or not the NFT game qualifies as gambling and thus require proper licensing.
  • Sorare has responded saying that its game is not gambling and followed all regulations from start to finish.
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A recent statement from the Gambling Commission of the United Kingdom warns consumers that the Sorare platform is operating without a gambling license. The commission will be investigating whether or not Sorare needs a gambling license to continue operating in the country. 

According to a statement, “The Gambling Commission is currently carrying out inquiries into the company to establish whether Sorare.com requires an operating license or whether the services it provides do not constitute gambling.”

The commission adds that the website might be operating outside of current regulations and is advising consumers to “consider this information when deciding whether or not to interact with the side.” No further comments will be released until those inquiries are completed. 

Sorare is a fantasy football platform, which doesn’t generally require gambling licenses. But, because the platform uses NFTs that users need to purchase, the line becomes a bit gray. The competitive aspect of Sorare makes it different from competitors like NBA Top Shot and is the reason for this current scrutiny. Sorare’s NFT competitions allow players to win cryptocurrency as a result. 

Sorare gives official response

After the news from the UK Gambling Commission broke, Sorare was quick to respond to the investigation. According to the NFT platform, it’s “confident that Sorare does not offer any forms of regulated gambling.” The statement adds that when a “nascent technology” grows in popularity, it is expected that regulators will come asking questions. 

The platform claims that it has conferred with its legal team and has been assured that it cannot legally be considered gambling. “This has been confirmed by expert legal opinions at every stage since the company was founded, including during a number of fundraising rounds.”

Sorare plans to work with regulators and authorities to have an open dialogue surrounding these issues and teach them more about how the game works, concluding “We believe this is the responsible way to grow our game and community globally,” 

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