Tough new ticket scalping reforms will help stamp out dodgy price gouging practices in the live entertainment industry, Minister for Better Regulation Matt Kean announced today.
Mr Kean said the proposed reforms would put consumers first and stop tickets from being swept up and resold at grossly inflated prices on the secondary market.
“I’m sick and tired of consumers being taken for a ride by shonky operators looking to make a quick buck at the expense of ordinary fans,” he said.
Mr Kean said the new provisions would stop anyone from reselling a ticket to a NSW event for more than the original sale price, plus the associated transaction costs.
“Those costs would also be capped at a maximum of 10 per cent of the initial sale, which means absolutely no ticket to a NSW sporting or entertainment event should be resold for more than 10 per cent above its original price,” he said.
“We understand there may be legitimate reasons why people wish to on-sell event tickets, but we won’t tolerate the often exorbitant prices they’re listed online for.
“These reforms are about making tickets more accessible to the real fans that deserve to be able to enjoy their favourite sport or artist at a live event.”
Mr Kean said the proposed Amendments to the Fair Trading Act 1987 would also include:
- In an Australian first, outlawing the use of “bots” – security manipulation software that allows ticket scalpers to buy tickets in unauthorised high quantities;
- Cracking down on advertising, or hosting advertisements, for tickets that breach the new resale laws; and,
- Fostering greater transparency in the primary market by giving the Minister the power to require event organisers to publicly disclose the number of tickets available for sale to major NSW events
“The reforms also aim make it clear that tickets resold within the new laws should not be cancelled by event organisers or venues simply because the ticket has been acquired in the secondary market,” he said.
A Bill is being prepared to put before Parliament as part of a suite of ‘Consumers First’ reforms by the state government.
