Swiss Regulator Puts FIFA’s World Cup NFTs Under the Microscope for Gambling Risk

Switzerland’s gambling watchdog has stepped onto FIFA’s digital pitch — opening a probe into the football body’s “Right-to-Buy” NFTs for the 2026 World Cup amid growing concern that tokenized fan engagement could be straying into gambling territory.

The Swiss regulator, Gespa, confirmed it is reviewing whether FIFA’s tokens, which grant holders conditional rights to buy match tickets if their chosen team qualifies, fall under the country’s strict gambling laws.

The review, first reported by Bloomberg, remains in its early stages and does not yet allege wrongdoing. Still, it marks one of the first times a major global sports organization has faced regulatory scrutiny over the legal status of NFTs tied to real-world outcomes.

Unlike traditional tickets, the “Right-to-Buy” (RTB) tokens are digital collectibles that act as entry passes to ticket eligibility — not tickets themselves. Each NFT offers a guaranteed purchase window, at face value, if the selected team makes it to specific tournament stages.

Prices reflect each team’s chances of success — from $299 for underdogs to nearly $999 for heavyweights like Brazil, Argentina, and England — and many have already sold out. FIFA first tested the model in 2024 with 1,000 tokens, responding to intense ticketing pressure during the 2022 Qatar World Cup, when 23 million fans competed for just 3.4 million seats.

By tokenizing ticket rights, FIFA claims it can deliver fairer access and cut down on scalping, but Gespa’s inquiry raises the question: at what point does digital fandom become a wager on chance?

FIFA Migrates to Avalanche for a Web3 Reboot

Behind the scenes, FIFA has quietly rebuilt its Web3 infrastructure. In May 2025, it migrated from Algorand to Avalanche, launching a dedicated Subnet to handle surging traffic during global tournaments. The new system, powered by blockchain firm Modex, integrates directly with wallets like MetaMask and aims to streamline transactions for millions of fans.

Francesco Abbate, CEO of Modex and FIFA Collect, said Avalanche’s EVM-compatible framework enables the scalability and security needed for FIFA’s growing Web3 ecosystem.

FIFA’s blockchain ambitions extend beyond ticket sales. The organization has rolled out NFT-based gaming such as the mobile title FIFA Rivals, developed with Mythical Games, where users can trade player cards and manage virtual clubs on-chain. Its NFT platform, FIFA Collect, now runs on a custom Avalanche Layer-1 chain built to serve over five billion global fans.

This aligns with a wider industry shift — following the success of NBA Top Shot and similar NFT projects by the NFL and MLB — as major sports leagues explore new ways to deepen engagement and unlock digital revenue streams.

Regulation Meets Innovation

FIFA’s NFT push comes as the broader digital asset market cools from its 2021–2022 highs. But the Gespa review underscores how sports tokenization sits at the crossroads of innovation and regulation.

As FIFA continues to experiment with tokenized ticketing and fan interaction, Switzerland’s probe could set a precedent for how far global sports bodies can go in gamifying access — before regulators call it a gamble.