Ontario fines SeatGeek $25,000 for breaking ticket resale price-cap law
The ticket platform is believed to be the first reseller penalized under Ontario's anti-scalping law, enacted in April 2024. SeatGeek says it's still seeking guidance on compliance.
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Ontario fined SeatGeek Canada $25,000 under an anti-scalping law enacted in April 2024, believed to be the first financial penalty issued to a ticket reseller under the measure.
The fine, issued in late August 2024, comprised three penalties: $10,000 for selling a ticket above face value, $5,000 for failing to disclose the original purchase price of a ticket, and $10,000 for facilitating a transaction without proof of the original price. The province's consumer-beware website shows no other fines for ticket resellers to date.
The law prohibits resale of concert, cultural, sports and other event tickets above the original total price paid to the primary seller—including base price, fees, service charges and taxes. The Ontario government introduced the amendment to the Ticket Sales Act, 2017 as part of its April 2024 budget, citing price gouging during events like the Toronto Blue Jays' playoff run, which angered Premier Doug Ford.
The ministry inspected major secondary ticketing platforms for compliance. SeatGeek and StubHub both received notices of proposed compliance in late May. "SeatGeek is still trying to get guidance from the province around how to comply with the law," said Joe Freeman, SeatGeek's vice-president of government affairs. Freeman did not say whether the company plans to pay the fine or fight it. The province did not clarify what specific event or ticket listing triggered the fine.
Will other ticket resellers face similar fines for violations of the price-cap law?
How is SeatGeek responding to the fine — paying it or appealing?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
The facts
How much did Ontario fine SeatGeek?
Ontario fined SeatGeek Canada $25,000, comprising three separate penalties: $10,000 for selling a ticket above face value, $5,000 for failing to disclose the original purchase price, and $10,000 for facilitating a transaction without proof of the original price.
When was Ontario's anti-scalping law enacted?
Ontario's anti-scalping law was enacted in April 2024 as part of the province's budget.
What tickets are covered by Ontario's resale price cap?
The law prohibits resale of concert, cultural, sports and other event tickets above the original total price paid to the primary seller, including base price, fees, service charges and taxes.
