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Why is ticket touting illegal?

Author

Emma Payne

Published Jan 22, 2026

Section 166 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 states that it is an offence to tout tickets for football matches, by making it illegal for any unauthorized vendor to sell tickets to a designated football match.

Is scalping tickets illegal in Australia?

The Major Events Act 2009 protects fans from being ripped off by ticket scalpers and ensures that tickets to major events are available for everyone. When the government declares an event as a major event, it becomes illegal to sell or advertise for resale tickets for more than 10 per cent above face value.

Are ticket touts illegal in the UK?

Are ticket touts still allowed to operate in the UK? The general resale of football tickets is illegal under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 unless the resale is authorised by the organiser of the match. However, the re-selling of live music tickets for profit is not against the law in the UK.

Is reselling concert tickets illegal?

These laws vary from state to state, and the majority of US states do not have laws in place to limit the value placed on the resale amount of event tickets or where and how these tickets should be sold. Ticket re-sellers may conduct business on nearby sidewalks, or advertise through newspaper ads or ticket brokers.

Is scalping illegal in Ireland?

From tomorrow (31 July), the practice of reselling tickets above face value will be banned after the Sale of Tickets Act was brought into force by the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar TD.

42 related questions found

Is viagogo legal in Ireland?

Subsequent to the Aiken statement, Viagogo issued a statement of its own pointing out that it was not illegal for tickets to be resold in Ireland as the law “only applies to designated venues which this venue is not”.

How does ticket touting work?

Seasoned touts look to acquire or “harvest” tickets by a variety of means – for instance, by use of multiple identities or multiple credit cards. Others may use specialised software (sometimes known as “bots”) to scoop up tickets the instant they are made available.

Is it illegal to flip tickets?

In the US, ticket scalping is the practice of buying and reselling event tickets by private citizens, rather than by the sponsoring venue or organization, usually at a much higher price than their face value. Laws about ticket scalping vary by state, and there is no federal law that prohibits the practice.

Is ticket scalping illegal?

In California, ticket scalping is illegal when done on the grounds of the event. This is a misdemeanor charge that carries a fine as high as $1,000. While that may be illegal, it is legal to purchase resale tickets online from valid ticket websites such as SeatGeek, StubHub, and Ticketmaster.

Is Viagogo a reseller?

Viagogo is a London-based ticket exchange and ticket resale company.

Is it illegal to sell tickets for profit?

However, it is still perfectly legal to resell tickets for other events such as gigs and concerts, as long as the sale abides by consumer protection laws.

Can I sell my Premier League ticket?

Ticket Exchange is available to Season Ticket holders only. There's no limit to the number of times you can list, but you can only sell your seat for up to ten home Premier League fixtures. No additional fees apply, and you will retain your ticket points for any traded match.

Is it legal to resell Premier League tickets?

Each club had their own set of terms and conditions regarding ticket sales, but the long and short of it is that you're not allowed to do it unless the club has given you permission. If you buy a ticket for a football match and can't go then you're pretty much stuffed.

Is reselling legal in Australia?

Buying and reselling legitimately bought products is legal in Australia. Reselling businesses are on the rise. For resellers, the investment and financial risk is low. And, thanks to online marketplaces such as Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace, reselling has never been easier.

Is scalping ps5 illegal?

This gave scalpers the opportunity to mass-buy next-gen consoles and then sell them for an inflated price. Unfortunately, console scalping is NOT illegal in the United States.

What laws protect you from ticket scalping?

Currently, there is no federal law that regulates ticket scalping. The purpose of this article is to provide a brief historical perspective of ticket scalping, examine various anti-scalping legislation and analyze re- lated case law.

Is scalping illegal Philippines?

Selling or attempting to sell complimentary tickets, regardless of the amount or form of payment, is also prohibited. Persons who buy tickets from scalpers will also be penalized. Scalpers shall be penalized through a fine of 5,000 pesos or imprisonment of one year, or both, at the discretion of the Court.

Is it illegal to sell football tickets?

The difference between football touting and other touting is quite clear – it's perfectly legal to resell a ticket to a concert or other entertainment, because one of the main reasons for the original 1994 Act was to stop the possibility of rival fans being enclosed in the same section.

Is it legal to sell Ticketmaster tickets?

Ticketmaster doesn't allow resell on their site for all events. However, you can sell those tickets on StubHub or any other marketplace.

Is GPU scalping illegal?

Scalping GPU is currently not illegal. More people are pushing for legislation on this front, but it remains to be seen if we'll get one or not.

Is scalping illegal in California?

A: Scalping in California is not legal if: a) a person sells a ticket for admission to an event without the written permission of the owner or operator of the property where the event is taking place; (b) the seller obtained the ticket for resale at a price higher than face value; or (c) the transaction occurs on the ...

Are scalpers offensive?

"Scalped" has long been used to indicate that one was defeated. My dictionary indicates one definition of the word is “trophy or symbol of triumph." We often hear or read about "scalpers" who sell tickets at a much higher price than paid. It is a commonly used term with no intent of offending Native Americans.

Why are scalpers called scalpers?

scalper (n.)

1650s as a type of surgical instrument; 1760 as "one who takes or removes scalps," agent noun from scalp (v.). The meaning "person who re-sells tickets at unauthorized prices for a profit" is by 1869 in American English; the earliest reference is to theater tickets, but it more often was used late 19c.

Is StubHub legitimate?

StubHub is definitely a legit company. It's owned by eBay, one of the largest e-commerce companies in America (if not the world). It also has sponsorships with over 100 organizations worldwide, including many sports teams and leagues, as well as some technology companies (such as Apple, Spotify, and Uber).

Is viagogo face value?

Many tickets on viagogo are available at prices below the face value price. viagogo typically displays the ticket face values for an event in the "Important Information" section of the "Ticket Detail Page".