The Swiss Gambling Supervisory Authority (Gespa) has filed a criminal complaint against FIFA, alleging that football’s world governing body is conducting illegal gambling through its “FIFA Collect” NFT marketplace.
The complaint has been lodged with Swiss prosecutors following a detailed investigation by the regulator.
Gespa’s investigation concluded that specific activities available on the NFT platform constitute a form of gambling under Swiss law.
The regulator determined that participation in features such as “challenges” and digital “drops” requires a monetary payment from the user.
Crucially, the outcomes of these activities are determined predominantly by chance, fitting the legal definition of gambling.
As a result of this “pay-for-chance” mechanism of the “FIFA Collect” NFT, Gespa has classified these offerings as falling under the legal definitions of lotteries and sports betting.
The regulator noted that FIFA Collect is offering these services to Swiss consumers despite operating without the required Swiss gambling license.
In its statement, Gespa clarified that it was legally obligated under Switzerland’s gambling legislation to report this unlicensed offering to the country’s law enforcement authorities.
The final legal assessment of the platform and any subsequent penalties will now be made by the public prosecutor’s office.
This legal challenge is one of the most significant regulatory actions taken against a major NFT platform to date, mirroring the global “loot box” debate in video gaming.
The case could set a major precedent for how digital collectibles and blockchain-based promotions are regulated in Europe.
FIFA, which is headquartered in Switzerland, now faces a serious legal challenge on its home turf. If prosecutors agree with Gespa’s findings, the organization could face substantial fines and be forced to cease the platform’s operations within Switzerland, significantly impacting a key part of its digital engagement strategy.
