In brief
- Gespa, Switzerland’s gambling authority, is reportedly operating a preliminary probe into FIFA’s right-to-buy ticketing feature.
- The right-to-buy collectibles provide the option to purchase physical tickets to World Cup games from a select pool of set-aside tickets for FIFA Collect users.
- FIFA Collect is the soccer governing body’s official digital collectibles platform, now operating on its own Avalanche layer-1 network.
Gespa, Switzerland’s gambling authority, has begun a preliminary probe into FIFA’s new “Right-to-Buy” blockchain collectibles, aiming to determine whether the soccer governing body has complied with local gambling laws, according to a report from Bloomberg.
The “right-to-buy” (RTB) collectibles, offered via the FIFA Collect platform, provide users the option to purchase tickets to the upcoming 2026 World Cup to be hosted in North America. The collectibles are initially sold directly by FIFA, but can be resold on the secondary marketplace.
“Our mission is to bring fans closer to the game they love. By introducing Right-To-Buy on FIFA Collect, we are offering supporters a new and more direct way to be part of FIFA World Cup 26, turning digital collectibles into real-world opportunities,” said Modex Technologies Chief Marketing Officer Antonio Lorenzon at the time of RTB launch in late September.
Modex is FIFA’s exclusive partner and collaborator on its digital collectibles platform.
“Gespa is legally obligated to notify the competent criminal prosecution authorities of violations of the Swiss Federal Act on Gambling,” Gespa Director Manuel Richard told Decrypt. “Based on an initial internal assessment, it cannot be ruled out that the offering on collect.fifa.com may be relevant under Swiss gambling legislation.”
“Accordingly, Gespa is currently proceeding with further fact-finding to determine whether action is required,” he added.
FIFA Collect users can find RTB collectibles in surprise packs or purchased directly from the secondary marketplace, with current prices for the option to buy one ticket to a match game in Houston for $149, more than $1,200 for the right to buy tickets to Canada’s first match, and as much as $7,000 for the right to buy opening tickets to the first match at Mexico’s Azteca Stadium.
Holding the collectible ensures users are not subject to the general queue of ticket buyers when tickets go live. However, they will still need to pay for the tickets to their respective match, as the collectible merely provides the option to purchase.
Official tickets to the World Cup are being sold in phases, with the Visa Early Presale taking place in mid-September. The next phase will occur at the end of October, with other draws and sales taking place throughthe end of the tournament.
A selection of tickets have been set aside specifically for FIFA Collect users.
FIFA Collect was originally developed on Algorand in 2022, but earlier this year FIFA announced its departure from the proof-of-stake blockchain.
In May, it announced it would build its own Avalanche layer-1 network to power its platform, enhancing the digital collecting and “immersive fan experiences” it could provide.
Representatives for Gespa and FIFA Collect did not immediately respond to Decrypt’s request for comment.
Editor’s note: This story was updated after publication to include comment from Gespa.
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