Ticketmaster and Ontario’s New Ticket Resale Laws: What Fans Need to Know
Published: March 28, 2026 at 6:10AM EDT
The province of Ontario is taking aim at ticket scalpers with new legislation designed to protect buyers from exorbitant resale prices. However, experts are warning that banning the sale of tickets for more than face value could inadvertently push more transactions to unregulated, third-party markets, potentially leaving fans worse off. This has significant implications for platforms like Ticketmaster and other resale sites.
Ford Government Cracks Down on Ticket Scalpers
Earlier this month, the Doug Ford government announced plans to outlaw the resale of tickets for concerts, sports events, and other live events at prices exceeding their original value. This move comes ahead of the FIFA World Cup hosted in Toronto and follows concerns raised during the Toronto Blue Jays’ successful season, where ticket prices skyrocketed. Some Game 7 tickets were listed for as much as $16,000 on resale platforms.
Premier Ford directly called out ticket scalpers, stating their “days of ripping off fans are done.” He initially indicated a review of resale tickets after witnessing the inflated prices during the Blue Jays’ playoff run. The government’s proposed amendments to the Ticket Sales Act of 2017 will prohibit resale above the original all-in purchase price, including fees, service charges, and taxes.
Will the New Rules Actually Help Fans?
Giulia Paikin, press secretary to the minister’s office, stated that the changes are “putting fans first” and will apply consistently across all resale platforms. Under the new framework, a ticket purchased for $600 would have to be resold at the original price of $600 if resold. However, experts suggest these changes could have unintended consequences.
Richard Powers, an associate professor at the Rotman School of Management, believes the cap on resale prices could disincentivize legitimate resale platforms like Ticketmaster and StubHub. “There has to be an incentive. They have to be still making a profit,” Powers explained. “It is certainly going to push sales over to the black market, if you want to call it, or the unregulated market.”
The Rise of Unregulated Markets and Scams
Powers also questioned the province’s ability to monitor platforms like Facebook Marketplace and Kijiji, as their owners are based outside of Ontario. He argues that as long as demand exceeds supply, a secondary market will always exist, and the legislation may simply drive activity underground.
This shift could increase the risk of scams, as the legal secondary market offers more consumer protections. “The advantage that consumers had with the secondary market—the legal secondary market—is that it was legal and it was harder to scam,” Powers noted. “Once you get into Kijiji and all those, you don’t have those protections at all.”
Enforcement Concerns and FIFA’s Role
Ontario previously scrapped a similar law in 2019 that limited resale prices to 50% above face value, deeming it “unenforceable.” Experts are now questioning how the province plans to enforce the new price caps. Vijay Setlur, a marketing instructor at York University’s Schulich School of Business, asked, “What mechanisms are in place to enforce this, and find people, and deal with the violators?”
The legislation is included in Ontario’s budget and will be implemented before the FIFA World Cup. Setlur also raised concerns about how the legislation will interact with FIFA’s own resale platform. FIFA stated its marketplace adheres to local policies, but the logistics of enforcement remain unclear.
Other Provinces and the UK Take Note
British Columbia is monitoring Ontario’s approach before implementing a similar ban. The United Kingdom has already introduced legislation preventing resellers from selling tickets above the original cost, with restrictions on the number of tickets resold.
This evolving landscape of ticket resale regulations highlights the challenges of balancing consumer protection with market forces. The impact on platforms like Ticketmaster and the overall fan experience remains to be seen.
With files from CTV News Toronto’s Phil Tsekouras and CP24’s Joshua Freeman
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