Ticketmaster Removes Ontario Resale Tickets Ahead of Price Cap

Ticketmaster Canada has removed resale tickets for events in Ontario from its platform, acting ahead of new provincial rules that will limit such sales to face value prices.

The company announced the changes on Thursday, delisting listings posted by customers to ensure compliance with the forthcoming legislation. Shabnum Durrani, a spokesperson for Ticketmaster, stated that the move addresses the upcoming cap on resale prices, which aims to curb excessive markups by secondary sellers. Customers affected by the delisting will be able to repost their tickets starting next week, once the platform completes updates to its resale marketplace. Ticketmaster has been sending notifications to users about the temporary suspension.

The action follows the Ontario government's recent passage of its budget bill, which incorporates the ticket price restrictions. Although the bill has cleared the legislature, it still requires royal assent to become law. Once enacted, the measure will prohibit resellers from charging more than the original ticket price for events held in the province, including any added fees.

This initiative stems from widespread consumer frustrations over ticket scalping,...