The Ontario government is moving to crack down on ticket resellers, announcing a sharp increase in the maximum fine for selling tickets above their face value. Officials framed the change as a way to protect ordinary fans, saying they want the average person to be able to attend concerts and sports venues without getting gouged on the price of admission.
The problem the measure targets, according to the government, is the practice of marking tickets up far beyond what they originally cost. Some resellers, officials said, are gouging buyers by charging 10 or even 20 times the face value of a ticket, putting popular concerts and sporting events out of reach for many people who simply want to attend at a fair price.
To deter that behaviour, the maximum fine is being raised significantly. Under the new rules, the penalty will climb to $25,000, more than double the current maximum of $10,000. The government is betting that a steeper financial penalty will make resellers think twice before inflating prices to the levels that have frustrated so many fans across the province.
The province is also adding a transparency measure to the crackdown. Officials said the government will publicly disclose any businesses that receive ticketing fines, a step intended to identify those who break the rules and give consumers more information about which sellers have already been penalized for gouging buyers on resale prices.
The timing of the change is notable. The new measures are set to come into effect next Wednesday, just before Toronto hosts its first FIFA World Cup game, an event expected to drive enormous demand for tickets and, with it, the kind of high-priced resale activity that the province says it is now trying to rein in.
For the government, the move is being cast as a clear consumer win. Officials described it as a massive win for the people of Ontario, arguing that fans should be able to go to an affordable concert or an affordable sports venue without being exploited by resellers looking to profit off the surging demand around major events.