Switzerland’s Gambling Supervisory Authority (GESPA) has lodged a regulatory complaint against FIFA Collect, the governing body’s official non-fungible token (NFT) platform, alleging it operates as an unlicensed gambling provider.
In a statement released on Friday, GESPA claimed that the platform’s “competitions” and user reward mechanisms, including airdrop campaigns and challenges, contain a “significant element of chance,” classifying them as gambling activities under Swiss law.
Participation in the competitions is only possible in exchange for a monetary stake, with monetary benefits to be won, GESPA explained. Whether participants win a prize depends on random draws or similar procedures.
The regulator added that the features on FIFA Collect constitute “partly lotteries and partly sports betting.” Under Swiss regulations, only Sporttip and Jouez Sport are authorized nationwide to operate such gambling services.
GESPA’s action underscores the ongoing legal uncertainty surrounding NFTs and Web3 products, as regulators worldwide struggle to define how digital ownership, chance-based mechanics, and tokenized rewards fit within existing frameworks.
Both FIFA and Modex, the Web3 service provider powering FIFA Collect, have not issued a public statement regarding the complaint.
GESPA investigates FIFA Collect’s ticket reservation NFTs
GESPA’s probe into FIFA Collect began in October, focusing on the platform’s “Right to Buy” NFT series, which grants holders exclusive ticket reservation rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The NFTs allow users to reserve tickets at face value, protecting fans from secondary market price inflation a persistent problem at major sporting events.
Data from FIFA Collect indicates that the World Cup finals reservation NFTs for top teams such as Argentina, Spain, France, England, and Brazil sold out quickly, each priced at $999.
Originally launched in 2022 on the Algorand blockchain, FIFA Collect has since issued several digital collections tied to FIFA tournaments. The organization has now announced plans to migrate the platform to its own blockchain, known as the FIFA Blockchain, built as a layer-1 subnet on Avalanche.
Legal uncertainty surrounds Web3 sports collectibles
The complaint against FIFA Collect highlights the growing tension between innovation and regulation in the Web3 economy. While NFTs continue to redefine fan engagement and digital ownership, authorities like GESPA argue that when financial incentives and chance are involved, traditional gambling laws may still apply.
As the investigation progresses, the case could set a precedent for how blockchain-based fan engagement platforms are treated under Swiss and European law particularly as more major sports organizations explore NFTs, digital tickets, and Web3 fan experiences.