UK Government to Outlaw Profit-Making in Ticket Resales in Upcoming Crackdown
The UK government will soon announce legislation to prohibit the resale of tickets for profit, meaning sellers cannot charge more than the original purchase price. This restriction will apply to both ticket touts and ordinary consumers, although resale platforms will still be allowed to charge fees on top of the capped ticket price.
Initially, the government considered allowing resales up to 130% of the face value, but the current plan restricts resale strictly to the price paid. The legislation is expected to be announced this week and may be included in next year's King's Speech. Enforcement will be carried out by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), holding resale platforms liable for any noncompliant sellers.
Notably, the government will not implement a licensing system for ticket resale companies. Instead, social media sites and resale platforms will be regulated to address the circulation of unregulated and fraudulent tickets and to prevent the loss of legitimate exchanges. Sellers will also be prohibited from offering more tickets than they could have originally procured under box office limits, which is anticipated to impact platforms such as Viagogo and StubHub within the UK.
Alternatives to for-profit resale mechanisms exist, including value-ticket sites such as Twickets and Ticketmaster's own internal exchange, which offer fans fairer resale options without inflating prices.
