Ticketmaster has initiated the removal of resale tickets for Ontario events to adhere to a new provincial law that limits the price of such tickets to face value. According to Ticketmaster’s spokesperson, Shabnum Durrani, customers will have the opportunity to repost their tickets next week once the resale marketplace is updated. Durrani emphasized Ticketmaster’s commitment to establishing a fair and secure ticket marketplace in compliance with all relevant laws and regulations, with the company already informing customers of the adjustments.
This action follows the passing of a budget bill by the Ontario government, which included the imposition of a price cap on resale tickets. The bill received royal assent recently. The decision to implement the price cap stemmed from consumer grievances regarding tickets for high-demand events, like last year’s World Series and Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, being acquired by resellers and resold at inflated prices.
Updates to the 2017 Ticket Sales Act were announced by the government last month, prompted by the Premier’s pledge to review legislation due to the exorbitant resale prices of World Series tickets in Toronto. Notably, despite previous opposition, the law change has led StubHub and SeatGeek, two prominent resale platforms, to express intentions to comply with the regulations.
While certain events, such as the FIFA World Cup in Toronto, were initially expected to be exempt from the resale cap, a spokesperson clarified that the cap would indeed apply to the sporting event. The immediate enforcement of the price cap was emphasized by Stephen Crawford’s press secretary, Giulia Paikin, who stated that FIFA would not be granted any exemptions.
StubHub conveyed concerns over the price cap’s potential negative impact on fans, citing a potential increase in ticket fraud. SeatGeek similarly expressed reservations about the legislation but committed to advocating for favorable outcomes for fans. Furthermore, concerns about the efficacy and implications of price caps on the ticket market have been raised by various industry experts and stakeholders. The effectiveness of the law’s enforcement and its impact on the ticket resale landscape remain subjects of debate and speculation.
