A new law banning ticket touting will come into force this weekend, outlawing the reselling of tickets above face value.
The Sale of Tickets Act comes into force on Saturday July 31st, with the Government saying it will provide fans with fairer access to tickets for popular events.
Ticket touts will face fines of up to €100,000 or up to two years in prison if they sell music or sports tickets for live events above face value.
New regulations setting out what a venue operator or an event organiser needs to do to apply for designation of a venue or an event under the Act also comes into force, while amateur sports clubs and registered charities will be exempt for fundraising purposes.
We have heard all too often of the experiences of fans waiting patiently to buy tickets only to miss out
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said the introduction of the law marked a “good day for genuine fans.”
“We have heard all too often of the experiences of fans waiting patiently to buy tickets only to miss out and to then see those same tickets for sale on a secondary site for far more than they can afford or would be happy to pay,” he said.
“This is a good day for genuine fans who will now have fairer access to tickets for cultural, entertainment, recreational and sporting events.
“This new law protects against profiteers seeking to unfairly gain from the resale of tickets who do not contribute in any way to benefit those with the talent and skills that the rest of society wish to appreciate at an affordable price.”
Covid restrictions
Robert Troy, Minister of State for Trade Promotion, said the new law was all the more important in light of Covid-19 restrictions limiting the number of tickets available for events.
“This is a really positive step forward to protect the interests of real fans. We know demand for live events will increase as society begins to reopen, and while we continue to live with Covid-19, numbers to these events will be limited to protect public health,” he said.
“This legislation is necessary to protect fans from being ripped off by ticket touts who would exploit this.
“Of course, the benefits of this legislation will long outlive the public health measures and this legislation will ensure a fairer market so tickets can go to real fans.”
