The Swiss Gaming Supervisory Authority (Gespa) has launched a preliminary investigation into FIFA’s blockchain program for selling NFT tickets for the 2026 World Cup. This concerns the Collect platform, where users can purchase Right to Buy tokens that guarantee the opportunity to buy a ticket for a specific match, regardless of whether the teams and the venue are already known.
This is reported by Business • Media
Suspicion of Violating Gambling Legislation
As noted by Gespa Director Manuel Rishar, there are currently grounds to believe that FIFA’s NFT ticket sales model may fall under Swiss gambling legislation. For this reason, the regulator has decided to gather additional information to determine the need for further action.
“Based on an initial internal assessment, it cannot be ruled out that the offer on the website collect.fifa.com may fall under gambling legislation. Gespa will now conduct further fact-finding to determine whether regulatory action is needed,” explained Rishar.
Possible Consequences for FIFA and the Collect Platform
If violations are found, the Swiss authority may require local companies to cease activities related to the sale of NFT tickets. If the violations involve organizations registered outside of Switzerland or those operating exclusively online, Gespa has the right to approach Swiss internet providers to request the blocking of access to the relevant sites.
It is worth noting that in 2023, FIFA introduced the Collect blockchain platform, which offers virtual Right to Buy tokens. In May 2025, the organization partnered with Avalanche to create its own layer-one blockchain for digital tickets.