SeatGeek’s $25,000 Fine Shows How Hard Ontario’s Anti‑Scalping Law Is to Enforce

In late August, Ontario fined SeatGeek Canada $25,000 under the anti‑scalping law that was introduced in April. The fine was split into three parts: $10,000 for allegedly selling a ticket above its face value, $5,000 for not disclosing the ticket’s original purchase price, and another $10,000 for facilitating a sale without proof of the original price.

The provincial legislation bans any resale that exceeds the ticket’s face value and allows fines of up to $250,000. It also requires that each violation be posted publicly on the government’s consumer‑beware website.

Joe Freeman, SeatGeek’s vice‑president of government affairs, said the company finds it difficult to verify a ticket’s original price because many sellers – including season‑ticket holders – do not have access to the face‑value information. SeatGeek has warned third‑party sellers about the new law but is still seeking clear guidance from the province on how to comply.

Other resale platforms are facing the same problem. StubHub has argued that it cannot confirm original prices without data from the primary seller and was added to Ontario’s consumer‑beware list after an inspection. Vivid Seats also said it is in active dialogue with the government and has made changes to meet the new requirements.

The fine against SeatGeek highlights a practical obstacle for the law: without reliable proof of a ticket’s original cost, online marketplaces struggle to demonstrate compliance, leaving both sellers and buyers exposed to potential penalties.

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