SeatGeek Canada fined C$25,000 by Ontario over ticket resale rules

Ontario has issued three administrative penalties totaling C$25,000 against SeatGeek Canada for violations of the province’s ticket resale laws. The penalties, issued in late August, mark the first reported enforcement actions under the Ticket Sales Act, which was enacted in April to prevent ticket scalping by capping resale prices at face value.

The specific fines include C$10,000 for facilitating a sale that exceeded the resale-price cap, C$5,000 for failing to disclose the original purchase price of a ticket, and C$10,000 for facilitating a transaction without proof of the original price. These administrative penalties are not criminal convictions and are subject to appeal.

SeatGeek has expressed difficulty in complying with the requirements, stating that the company has sought guidance from the province regarding how independent marketplaces can verify original purchase prices. Joe Freeman, SeatGeek’s vice president of government affairs, noted that the company is still waiting for meaningful direction from Ontario officials on how to meet these verification standards.