Where is ticket scalping illegal

Organisers of sporting and entertainment events authorise ticketing agencies to sell tickets for their events. From 10 September , for tickets first sold by the authorised ticket seller, it is an offence to resell a ticket for more than its original cost, plus 10 per cent.

The original cost includes any booking fee charged on the original purchase. The additional 10 per cent is intended to allow you to recover any other transaction costs resulting from the purchase and resale of the ticket.

The laws do not cover tickets provided on a complimentary basis and you will not commit an offence if you resell them.

However, always check the terms and conditions. Resale may not be allowed for that ticket and a buyer may be denied entry by the venue. To calculate the resale price of one ticket, you should divide the booking fee by the number of tickets you bought and add it to the original cost base of the individual ticket.

From 10 September , any person reselling a ticket cannot sell it for an amount that exceeds the original ticket cost plus 10 per cent. This recognises a ticket may be separated from other documentation showing the transaction costs when it is passed from one person to another. It may be difficult for subsequent purchasers to know the original ticket cost but you can try to find out by looking at comparable tickets through the official ticketing agency, the event promoter or at the venue.

If the ticket is subject to a resale restriction and you sell it for more than 10 per cent above the original price you may be fined.

If there is a resale restriction on the ticket, Consumer Protection applies its Compliance and Enforcement Policy when deciding what action to take against breaches of the law. More information about the enforcement action that may be undertaken is on the ticket reselling page. Some tickets will not have resale restrictions. For example, events that are not anticipated to be in high demand will generally not have a resale restriction on tickets.

You are breaking the law if you sell your ticket for a higher price than 10 per cent above the original cost and you could be penalised. From 10 September , advertisements that do not meet all the above requirements are banned. If you see any prohibited advertisements, you should report them to the resale site operator by sending them an email. They should then take it down. Some websites have a 'report' function to trigger an investigation into suspicious or non-compliant advertisements.

You should also report non-compliant advertisements to Consumer Protection on or email. You can find out the original ticket cost by checking comparable seats with the official ticketing agency or the event promoter. Do your own calculations to make sure you are not being charged more than 10 per cent above the original cost of the ticket. You should contact Consumer Protection on or email if the original cost was not disclosed in the advertisement for the ticket. You should contact the resale site operator in the first instance.

Ticket scalping, or the practice of selling an event ticket for more than its face value, has been illegal in Michigan. The law Whitmer signed now allows the practice to go on so, Michiganders who can no longer attend an event can recoup their costs.

In an effort to protect consumers from scams the law requires that the seller have physical possession or control of the ticket before offering it for resale. Skip to content.

Gray DC Bureau. Investigate TV. First Alert Weather. Weather Alerts. Download Our Apps. Traffic Map. Proponents of a free market system assert that it will make ticket resales more available and resale prices cheaper then under a regulated system.

Opponents of a free market system assert it will encourage scalpers to accumulate more tickets and discriminates against those who can not afford to pay inflated prices. Some people assert that producers of live events do not like ticket scalpers for several reasons. First, at an unpopular event, when scalpers stand outside and sell tickets at below face value, producers lose the chance to sell the tickets they are inevitably stuck with.

Second, when scalpers sell tickets above face value, producers do not share in the profits made. Last, producers claim that scalpers are loud, aggressive and a nuisance in general. Producers claim this makes other ticket buyers uncomfortable. Opponents of anti-scalping laws state that more brokers might enter the secondary ticket sales market if restrictions against such were lifted.

This would not only alleviate the need for droids but would offer legitimacy to the industry along with lower ticket prices because of a free market competition system. Moreover, ticket brokers assert that if there was not a need for their service the business would not continue to be in existence and the fact remains that business thrives because individuals view the service as beneficial to them in some way. In section A of the attached materials, we have provided a copy of each of these state ' s laws.

As you know, New Jersey temporarily suspended its restrictions on ticket scalping from October 4, to April 4, As part of this trial-period process, Governor Whitman asked the Division of Consumer Affairs to review the moratorium ' s impact. Arkansas Ark. Therefore, cops are often hesitant to get involved. In addition to state laws, other laws make scalping illegal in raceways and the NFL. Those who can enforce the law at races or football games include box office personnel, supervisors, venue managers, ticket agents, security agents, event promoters and seat holders.

At other events, reselling tickets is not illegal, but it's not permitted on stadium grounds. This is why scalping often occurs in close proximity to events, such as concerts or baseball games, but not within the grounds or stadium. Laws became even more difficult to enforce when the practice became widespread online.