Province intends to stop concert/sports ticket price-gouging

The provincial government intends to put a cap on the resale of tickets for live events.

Under proposed legislation, tickets could not be resold for more than their original cost.

The proposed legislation would only apply to events held in Ontario.

“We are taking action to help ensure Ontario fans have access to fair resale prices and are not exploited by price gouging when they buy resale tickets for their favourite events,” states Stephen Crawford, Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement, in a release.

“With these new measures, consumers would no longer need to worry about being ripped off in the ticket resale market, and more families and fans would have the opportunity to see their favourite band or sports team perform live.”

The government is still deciding on the appropriate penalties that may be issued.

Under the current regulations, ticket businesses can face penalties up to $10,000 for certain contraventions.

The proposed legislation is expected to be introduced at Queen’s Park next week.