by Coinstrooper Crypto Articles
Quick Take
  • Swiss regulator Gespa is reviewing FIFA’s Right-to-Buy tokens to determine if they fall under gambling laws.
  • The tokens grant holders a conditional right to buy World Cup tickets if their selected team qualifies.
  • FIFA has migrated its NFT infrastructure from Algorand to Avalanche to enhance scalability and fan engagement.
  • The probe, first reported by Bloomberg, is still in its early stages and does not allege any wrongdoing.

What Happened

Switzerland’s gambling watchdog has launched a review into FIFA’s “Right-to-Buy” tokens for the 2026 World Cup, examining whether the digital assets fall under the country’s strict gambling laws.

The program was first introduced for the 2024 World Cup Final, offering 1,000 tokens linked to different national teams.

After starting on the Algorand blockchain, FIFA migrated its NFT ecosystem to Avalanche in May 2025. This move includes deploying its marketplace and launching a dedicated Avalanche Subnet designed to handle large traffic spikes around global tournaments.

In May, FIFA officially migrated its NFT platform, FIFA Collect, to a custom Avalanche Layer-1 blockchain, ending its partnership with Algorand.

Market Context

The Swiss authority, Gespa, confirmed it is currently assessing if the tokens, which can be purchased and traded on FIFA’s NFT marketplace, resemble gambling products or are simply conditional rights to buy tickets.

Marketed as non-fungible tokens (NFTs), FIFA’s RTB tokens reserve the right to purchase tickets for specific matches if certain conditions are met.

For 2026, token prices range from $299 to $999 based on a team’s likelihood of reaching the final.

Underdogs are priced lower, while tournament favorites like Brazil, Argentina, and England carry higher price tags. Many of the tokens are already sold out.

FIFA’s Web3 infrastructure is powered by Modex, which operates the native marketplace. While the broader NFT market has cooled since its 2021–2022 peak, FIFA has continued expanding into the space.

Why It Matters

Swiss Regulator Reviews FIFA NFTs for Gambling Risk

Details

Key Takeaways:

Swiss regulator Gespa is reviewing FIFA’s Right-to-Buy tokens to determine if they fall under gambling laws.

The tokens grant holders a conditional right to buy World Cup tickets if their selected team qualifies.

FIFA has migrated its NFT infrastructure from Algorand to Avalanche to enhance scalability and fan engagement.

The probe, first reported by Bloomberg, is still in its early stages and does not allege any wrongdoing.

Manuel Richard, Gespa’s director, told Bloomberg that the regulator is in a fact-gathering phase and has not received any formal complaints.

These are not tickets themselves but grant holders a guaranteed purchase window, at face value, should their selected team qualify for a given stage of the tournament.

FIFA developed the program to address demand pressure for high-profile games. During the 2022 Qatar World Cup, 3.4 million tickets were available, but 23 million were requested, the organization reported.

The RTB tokens aim to create a more predictable and transparent way for fans to secure access to top matches.

Its digital assets span collectibles, access rights, and Web3 gaming.

Francesco Abbate, CEO of Modex and FIFA Collect, noted that Avalanche’s EVM-compatible AvaCloud stack allows for better integration with digital wallets and apps.

FIFA Expands Into NFT Gaming With ‘FIFA Rivals’ App

Beyond tokenized tickets, FIFA has embraced NFT-based gaming through its “FIFA Rivals” mobile title, developed with Mythical Games. The app lets users manage clubs and trade player cards on-chain.

The move aims to boost speed, scalability, and user experience for over five billion fans, with support for EVM wallets like MetaMask.