Ontario has levied a potential initial penalty against a ticket resale platform under the anti-scalping law, as resellers seek to offload tickets for upcoming events like the Toronto International Film Festival.
According to the province’s consumer awareness website, SeatGeek Canada was fined $25,000 in late August, marking the first known financial consequence for a ticket seller under the law introduced in April. The fine breakdown includes $10,000 for selling a ticket above face value, $5,000 for failing to disclose the original purchase price, and another $10,000 for facilitating a transaction without proof of the original price.
Cristian Buzo Tingarov, a spokesperson for Ontario’s Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery Stephen Crawford, declined to provide details on the event associated with the fines or potential future penalties.
“All ticket sellers in Ontario must adhere to legislation prohibiting ticket resale above face value,” Tingarov stated in an email. “Violators face fines up to $250,000 and public disclosure.”
SeatGeek’s Vice President of Government Affairs, Joe Freeman, did not confirm whether the company intends to pay the fines or contest them. While SeatGeek has informed third-party sellers about the law, Freeman mentioned the company is seeking clarity from the province on compliance procedures.
Freeman highlighted the challenges of verifying the original ticket value, particularly for sellers without access to such information. StubHub Canada echoed this sentiment when questioned about high-priced TIFF screenings on its platform.
Tickets for various TIFF screenings have appeared on resale sites like StubHub and Vivid Seats at elevated prices, prompting debates on compliance with ticket reselling laws. StubHub emphasized the difficulty of confirming original ticket prices without data from the initial purchase platform, underscoring the need for collaboration with authorities to address unresolved issues.
Vivid Seats defended its compliance efforts, stating ongoing dialogues with the Ontario government to align with the new ticket resale regulations. The company emphasized the necessity for industry-wide guidance to ensure effective implementation of the legislation.
Ontario previously issued warnings to 27 ticket resale websites, signaling inspections for adherence to the anti-scalping law. Failure to cooperate could lead to enforcement actions, as seen with StubHub being listed for non-compliance. Vivid Seats reported progress in rectifying compliance issues and ongoing discussions with the province to meet regulatory obligations.