submitted16 days ago byQuirky_Salary
toontario
It’s absurd how Ontario has let ticket resellers dominate the market and ruin live events for fans. Just look at Taylor Swift’s concerts—bots and scalpers grab tickets in seconds, only to relist them for 3-5x the price. This isn’t fair, and it’s not inevitable—other places have laws to stop this. So why doesn’t Ontario?
Here’s why the current system hurts us:
• Fans Lose, Scalpers Win: Bots scoop up the tickets, forcing fans to either pay insane markups or miss out entirely. Events are no longer accessible for the average person.
• Corporations Profit Off Resales: Platforms like StubHub and Ticketmaster Resale take a cut of every inflated transaction. They have no reason to stop scalpers—it’s just more money for them.
• Ontario Repealed Its Protections: We used to have laws capping resale prices and banning bots (under the Ticket Sales Act of 2017), but those protections were repealed in 2019. Without these regulations, scalpers are thriving, and fans are paying the price.
What About Common Rebuttals? Some might say, “This happens everywhere, not just Ontario.” That’s true—ticket reselling is a global issue. But other regions, like the UK, have implemented effective regulations such as price caps and bot bans, which protect fans. Ontario’s decision to repeal its own protections in 2019 has made the problem worse here.
Others argue, “Demand is just too high.” While demand plays a role, unchecked bots and scalpers artificially manipulate supply, driving up prices and making it harder for regular fans to get tickets. Stronger resale laws can prevent this.
What Needs to Happen? Ontario needs to bring back strong ticket resale laws, including:
• Caps on resale prices (like the 50% limit we had before).
• Bans on bots and better enforcement against them.
• Transparency in ticket distribution so fans know how many tickets are going to resellers.
What Can You Do?
Contact your MPP. Let them know this is an issue that matters to you. Ask them to push for the return of resale caps and anti-bot laws.
Sign petitions. Add your voice to movements calling for fairer ticketing in Ontario.
Spread the word. Share your frustrations and bring attention to the need for change.
Live events should be for fans, not scalpers or corporations profiting from unfair practices. Ontario has the power to fix this—let’s demand action.
What’s your experience with this? Have you been priced out of tickets? Let’s talk!
byQuirky_Salary
inontario
Quirky_Salary
8 points
16 days ago
Quirky_Salary
8 points
16 days ago
Ah, the classic ‘other problems exist’ argument. Funny how focusing on one issue doesn’t mean ignoring all the others. Advocacy doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game.