The British Columbian government has introduced a Tickets Sales Act to prohibit the use of bots and implement transparency standards for sellers.
The legislation bans the use of automated software, such as bots, to purchase tickets. It also sets requirements for primary and secondary sites, such as clearly listed pricing, including the face value of any ticket any additional fees.
In addition, resellers must issue a refund guarantee, along with their identity, location and contact information.
Individuals could face penalties of C$10,000 (£5,700/€6,600/$7,500) if they break the law, while firms could face penalties of C$100,000.
“These changes are going to make our live event industry in B.C. even better for the people who matter most — the fans,” said the Canadian province’s public safety minister, Mike Farnworth.
“The new laws will make the ticket buying process more transparent and equitable for consumers, so that everyone in our province will have a fair chance of getting tickets for their favourite acts and events.”
The news comes after a report was published on public concerns on obtaining primary tickets and the “unfair” pricing on the secondary market.
In January 2018, British Columbia announced it was considering legislation to tackle touting and price inflation on music and sport tickets.
The B.C government began looking at what other provinces have been doing to clamp down on scalpers, with Ontario having passed a bill that bans bots and caps resale prices. In August, Alberta passed similar legislation, with Manitoba doing the same in December.
Image: Ryan Bushby (HighInBC)
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