Ontario just announced significant reforms to their Ticket Sales Act, 2017. These amendments would put an end to scalper prices that have angered fans for too long. On March 20, 2026, the changes we proposed would take effect. Under these amendments, it will be illegal to resale tickets above the total price originally paid including taxes and service charge. This action is to defend consumers from professional resellers who routinely mark up prices by hundreds of percent.
These amendments were introduced to relieve fears that professional scalpers are taking over the secondary ticket market. In most cases, these folks and their companies use nefarious tactics such as bots and bulk-buying techniques to scoop up tickets in bulk. They are then able to resell these tickets at exponentially higher prices. In many cases, these markups can reach hundreds or even thousands of dollars above face value, making it difficult for average fans to afford entry to concerts, sports events, theatre performances, and other live entertainment.
A Step Towards Fairness for Fans
The goal of the proposed amendments is clear: to safeguard fans from runaway markups and ensure fair access to events. This cooperative initiative has been enthusiastically endorsed by important government stakeholders such as Neil Lumsden, the Minister of Sport. He emphasized the unfairness of current resale practices, stating:
“The use of resale practices that dramatically drive up the price of resale tickets for families to be able to attend major events isn’t fair.” – Neil Lumsden, Minister of Sport.
Lumsden’s comments reflect the increasing anger of families and riders. They are now being priced out of their favorite events largely due to predatory resale tactics.
Government Support for the Initiative
Stephen Crawford, the Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement spoke in strong support of the amendments. He stated:
“We are taking action to help ensure Ontario fans have access to fair resale prices and are not exploited by price gouging.” – Stephen Crawford, Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement.
The Omnibus says that the government is dedicated to combating price gouging in the secondary ticket market. Their mission is to ensure that all Ontarians can experience the power of live entertainment.
Current Regulations and Future Implications
Under current law, ticket scalping violations carry maximum fines of $10,000 for each violation. The new amendments aim to bolster these protections by specifically going after professional scalpers who control the secondary market. Ontario wants to be the better place for fans looking for access to live events. It intends to accomplish this by creating tougher regulations on ticket resellers.
