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Swiss Regulator Opens Preliminary Probe Into FIFA’s ‘Right‑to‑Buy’ Ticket Tokens

The review will assess whether tradable access tokens that grant priority to buy 2026 World Cup tickets qualify as gambling under Swiss law.

Overview

  • Gespa said it is gathering facts and has not received complaints or alleged wrongdoing as it evaluates the FIFA Collect offering.
  • FIFA’s Right‑to‑Buy collectibles provide a window to purchase specific match tickets but are not tickets themselves, and they can be resold on a secondary marketplace.
  • Recent listings show options priced from about $149 for lower‑demand matches to roughly $7,000 for high‑demand rights such as the Azteca opener, with certain team‑ or stage‑linked drops selling out.
  • FIFA has migrated Collect to a bespoke Avalanche‑based layer‑1 built with Modex, with payments in fiat or USDC and no separate FIFA cryptocurrency.
  • FIFA maintains the tokens manage demand rather than function as gambling products, while Gespa’s potential enforcement tools include ISP blocking and referrals to prosecutors, a decision observers say could set a wider precedent.