UK Government Proposes Ban On Profit-Driven Ticket Reselling
UK to prohibit profitable ticket reselling.
The UK government is preparing to introduce legislation aimed at banning the resale of tickets to live events for profit. This initiative is part of a broader effort to address the concerns surrounding exploitative secondary markets. As this crackdown progresses, the government is focusing on the platforms that contribute to inflated ticket prices, which often prevent fans from accessing major shows at reasonable costs.
The upcoming law will implement regulations that prohibit ticket holders from reselling their tickets at prices exceeding the original face value. Additionally, resale platforms will be permitted to charge service fees; however, these fees will be subject to strict limitations to ensure compliance with the new regulations and to prevent any circumvention of the price restrictions.
The shift in ticketing regulations follows significant advocacy from prominent artists like Dua Lipa, Coldplay, and Radiohead, alongside consumer groups, who are calling for action against what they consider a growing issue of ticket touting. Research indicates that fans lose over £145 million each year due to inflated resale prices, with tickets for popular events often appearing on resale platforms at prices thousands of pounds higher than their original value within minutes.
In conjunction with this legislative change, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has initiated investigations into several ticket resale companies, including Viagogo and StubHub, addressing concerns related to misleading pricing practices and the allocation of bulk tickets. These developments raise important questions about the potential consequences of such regulations, including the possibility that they might drive more ticket transactions to unregulated markets, complicating enforcement efforts.
Written by
