Swiss Regulator Files Criminal Complaint Against FIFA NFT Platform

Gespa, Switzerland’s lottery and gambling authority, has taken decisive action against FIFA Collect, the international soccer body’s blockchain collectibles platform, by filing a formal criminal complaint with prosecution authorities. The regulator announced the move on Friday, confirming suspicions that emerged during its initial assessment in early October when it first warned that it “couldn’t rule out” whether the platform’s offerings would fall under Swiss gambling regulation. After conducting a deeper investigation, Gespa determined that collect.fifa.com “offers gambling services that are not licensed in Switzerland and are therefore illegal,” according to its written statement.

The criminal complaint represents a significant escalation in the regulatory scrutiny facing FIFA’s NFT operations. Gespa Director Manuel Richard confirmed the filing to Decrypt, though further details about the proceedings are not being shared at this time. The authority emphasized its legal obligation to “notify the competent prosecution authorities if it becomes aware of violations of the Federal Act on Gambling,” indicating the seriousness with which Swiss regulators are treating the matter.

At the heart of Gespa’s complaint are specific features of the FIFA Collect platform that the regulator claims constitute unlicensed gambling operations. According to the authority, participation in select competitions on the platform that offer monetary benefits requires a “monetary stake” and provides rewards “via random draw or similar procedures.” From a gambling law perspective, Gespa categorizes these offerings as “partly lotteries and partly sports betting,” specifically referencing what it calls the “right-to-final” mechanism.

The “right-to-final” designation refers to FIFA’s “right-to-buy” (RTB) collectibles, a new NFT type that provides holders with exclusive access to purchase tickets for the upcoming 2026 World Cup being hosted across North America. These RTB collectibles guarantee users can bypass the general queue of prospective ticket purchasers, creating a premium access system that Gespa views as a form of sports betting. The regulator’s characterization suggests that the combination of monetary investment, uncertain outcomes, and potential financial benefits crosses into regulated gambling territory under Swiss law.

The market dynamics surrounding FIFA’s right-to-buy collectibles reveal significant financial stakes, with secondary market prices ranging from approximately $98 for the right to purchase tickets to a group match round in Houston up to $6,000 for access to the opening match at Azteca Stadium in Mexico. These NFTs can be purchased or revealed from collectible packs on the platform or acquired through the secondary marketplace, creating a multi-layered economic ecosystem that regulators now allege constitutes unlicensed gambling.

FIFA’s ticket sales strategy for the 2026 World Cup involves multiple phases, with the organization recently announcing it has already sold more than 1 million tickets through its early Visa presale. The right-to-buy NFTs represent an additional revenue stream and engagement mechanism, but one that now faces serious legal challenges in Switzerland, where FIFA is headquartered. The criminal complaint could potentially disrupt this aspect of FIFA’s commercialization strategy for the world’s largest soccer sporting event.

The regulatory scrutiny comes amid significant technical changes to FIFA’s collectibles platform. Originally developed on Algorand in 2022, FIFA announced earlier this year that it was departing from the proof-of-stake blockchain in favor of creating its own Avalanche L1 network to support the platform. This migration to a custom Avalanche network represents a substantial investment in blockchain infrastructure at a time when the platform’s fundamental business model faces legal challenges.

The move from Algorand to Avalanche underscores FIFA’s commitment to blockchain technology despite growing regulatory headwinds. However, the criminal complaint raises questions about whether the technical architecture changes address the fundamental regulatory concerns about gambling mechanics. The platform’s continued operation on Avalanche now occurs against the backdrop of potential legal proceedings in Switzerland, creating uncertainty for both FIFA and platform users.