UK watchdog warns Premier League clubs over crypto sponsorship compliance

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Premier League crypto compliance warning

Highlights

Financial Conduct Authority warned Premier League clubs about potential rule breaches from deals with unauthorized crypto firms, highlighting risks to supporters.
FCA cited increasing crypto sponsorships, including OKX with Manchester City and Kraken with Tottenham Hotspur, underscoring visibility despite only Kraken being FCA-authorized.
The regulator's action signals stricter compliance expectations and elevates pressure on clubs and crypto firms to meet UK authorization standards before executing mass-market promotions.

Regulator warning targets sponsorship practices

As reported by the Financial Conduct Authority, the regulator has written directly to Premier League clubs to warn them about deals involving unauthorized crypto firms and to remind them of their responsibilities to supporters.

Under UK rules, companies that are not listed on the FCA's crypto register can advertise only if their marketing materials are approved by a firm that is authorized to sign them off. The FCA says unauthorized businesses may be breaching financial promotion rules through high-profile football sponsorships, which can put clubs that facilitate those promotions at risk.

Lucy Castledine, director of consumer investments at the FCA, says millions of football fans trust their club's badge and that clubs should not allow unauthorized financial firms to use that loyalty to place potentially risky products in front of large audiences.

Crypto partnerships raise wider sector risks

The warning lands as crypto branding becomes more visible across top-flight English football. Among the most prominent Premier League deals are OKX's logo on the sleeves of Manchester City shirts and Kraken's sponsorship position with Tottenham Hotspur.

Kraken appears on the FCA's register of authorized crypto firms through parent company Payward, while OKX is not listed there. Neither Manchester City nor OKX had responded to a request for comment by publication time.

The move signals a broader compliance message for sports organizations that use commercial partnerships to reach mass audiences. For clubs and the digital asset sector, the FCA's intervention increases pressure to ensure promotions meet UK authorization standards before crypto brands are marketed to fans.

In our earlier report, we covered the FCA’s warning that Premier League clubs could face enforcement action if they accept sponsorships from crypto or trading firms not authorised to operate in the UK. We noted that the regulator views these partnerships as potentially legitimising unlicensed promoters and exposing fans to harm, while also raising financial-crime and reputational risks for clubs tied to the source of sponsorship funds.

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