World football governing association FIFA has come under a preliminary investigation for alleged gambling activity in its 2026 World Cup ticket sales of “Right to Buy” (RTB) tokens. The probe, filed by Switzerland’s gambling authority Gespa, will determine whether FIFA’s initiative is justified or an act against Swiss law.
FIFA’s sale of blockchain-based tokens grants fans the right to purchase tickets for matches at next year’s competition. Per Bloomberg reports, the Swiss regulator will determine whether FIFA’s “Right to Buy” tokens constitute a form of gambling under Swiss law.
The tokens, developed with blockchain firm Modex Tech Ltd., have been out for a while. The RTB tokens allow holders to buy tickets for specific matches once sales open.
While some of the tokens are tied to national teams, such as the $999 “Right to Final: England” token, the implication is that holders can only use the token of their team qualified for the final. This, therefore, gives the initiative a semblance of gambling.
Gespa Director Manuel Richard explained that while the offering might seem relevant under various gambling legislation, further investigation and findings will decide whether regulatory action is warranted. FIFA’s headquarters, known as the “Home of FIFA,” has been based in Zürich, a popular city in Switzerland, since 1932.
Notably, the structure of the RTB tokens has raised various concerns of speculative behaviour. While the token guarantees automatic access to ticket purchase if their team reaches the particular stage, buyers whose team fails to advance will not receive a ticket.
Since the sales started after the World Club Cup, FIFA has reportedly earned around $15 million, having sold over 30,000 RTB, according to The Athletic. Also, the footballing body has been accused of already raking in millions even before the actual tickets are placed on sale.
Another data by FIFA Collect Info, a spinoff site, whose developer built the database using publicly available blockchain data and FIFA’s API, said all sales of the RTBs and other items have yielded nearly $29 million on the primary market. The competition is also projected to generate $11 billion for the football governing body.
The 2026 World Cup is jointly hosted by three North and Central American countries: the United States, Mexico and Canada. The competition will also witness participation from 48 footballing nations for the first time in its history.
The tournament draw will be held in Washington on December 5, while the finals will be held from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
Issues surround FIFA’s RTB tokens and tickets
The footballing global governing body has withheld almost all World Cup ticketing details until last week when it announced timeliness, a few prices and lottery phases. However, it has raked in on its digital tokens,
The RTB token promises buyers the ability to purchase one or two World Cup tickets at a to-be-determined later date. The tokens themselves cost hundreds of dollars. The buyers will get guaranteed access to ticket(s) for a specific match, in an unknown section, but still must pay full prices for those tickets, a price that FIFA has yet to set.
For fans, the RTB tokens are essentially a costly shortcut to 2026 tickets, allowing purchasers to bypass lotteries or first-come-first-served digital queues. While it costs double, it nonetheless creates an opportunity to secure a spot to purchase the ticket. It’s like paying to secure a guaranteed slot for a ticket, though still a 50/50 chance.
“Actual ticket prices and purchase process will be communicated separately. The card does not provide free tickets; it only allows the right to purchase two tickets for the specified match,” FIFA Collect clarifies on its Terms and Conditions page.
Previously, the digital tokens were in NFTs when they were launched in 2022. FIFA promised that that would be affordable, inclusive and accessible to all football fans. But that soon faded as fans encountered challenges.
Later on, some instances encouraged users to buy pack after pack and try to complete an entire set of certain cards, which could be converted into a “Right To Buy” for 2026 World Cup tickets. Now, FIFA Collect has begun selling RTBs as single items.
The prices ranged from $279 to $3,000. There were also “Road to Final Glory – Double Edition” packs. An option where a buyer could pay $1,499, and get an RTB for two matches randomly selected from the following: Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, third-place match, final.
Notably, FIFA Collect Info revealed that there are at least 70,000 tickets that have been promised via RTBs. This represents around 1% of the 6 million tickets FIFA is expected to sell for the 2026 World Cup’s 104 matches.