This research compiles primary legal sources (laws, statutes or official guidance) governing the resale of tickets (secondary ticketing) in each country. Use this as a reference to understand ticket resale laws in your country or accross the world. Where official government legislation prohibiting or regulating ticket resale could not be found, we note the absence of national restrictions but include relevant guidance from public‑sector consumer agencies. Dates refer to the law’s entry or where the information is made clear.
Note: This summary reflects statutes as of November 2025. We will do our best to keep this as an up-to-date resource for Ticket Resale Laws for market markets across the globe.
| Country | Key ticket‑resale rules (legal summary) | Relevant government/legal sources |
|---|---|---|
| United States (Federal) | Better Online Ticket Sales Act (BOTS Act) 2016 – federal law prohibiting persons from circumventing ticket‑purchasing limits or security measures on primary ticket sites and forbidding the sale of tickets obtained through such circumvention. The Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice can enforce penalties (ftc.gov). States also enact their own resale‑laws (many require transparency or prohibit “bots”). | Federal Trade Commission – BOTS Act description (ftc.gov); NCSL summary of 2024 ticket legislation (ncsl.org). |
| Canada (Ontario) | Ticket Sales Act 2017 (Ontario) – resale above the original price is permitted if the reseller guarantees a full refund if the event is cancelled, postponed or ticket is counterfeit, and provides seat/row information. Section 4 forbids the use or sale of software (bots) designed to circumvent ticket‑purchasing limits and prohibits selling tickets acquired through such software (ontario.ca). | Ontario Ticket Sales Act 2017 §2–5 (ontario.caontario.ca). |
| Canada (British Columbia) | Ticket Sales Act 2022 (BC) – prohibits using or offering software to evade purchasing limits or security measures and prohibits selling tickets obtained by such software (bclaws.gov.bc.ca). Resellers must disclose face value, total price, and their identity. | B.C. Ticket Sales Act, Part 2 (bclaws.gov.bc.ca). |
| United Kingdom | Consumer Rights Act 2015 – secondary ticketing facilities must provide seat location, any restrictions and face value, and cannot cancel tickets solely because they are resold (businesscompanion.info). Breaching of Limits on Ticket Sales Regulations 2018 (from the Digital Economy Act 2017) makes it a criminal offence to use bots to obtain tickets exceeding the maximum allowed and to profit from them (legislation.gov.uk). Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 introduces clearer disclosure duties. | UK Consumer Rights Act 2015; Breaching of Limits on Ticket Sales Regulations 2018, §3 (legislation.gov.uk); government trading‑standards guidance (businesscompanion.info). |
| Ireland | Sale of Tickets (Cultural, Entertainment, Recreational and Sporting Events) Act 2021 – bans the sale or advertising of a ticket above the original sale price for designated events or venues. Organisers can apply for their event or venue to be designated, after which resale above face value is a criminal offence punishable by fines up to €100 000 or imprisonment up to two years (gov.ie). Charitable resales are exempt. | Irish government press release summarising Sale of Tickets Act 2021 (gov.ie). |
| France | French Criminal Code Article 313‑6‑2 – prohibits the habitual resale of tickets to sports, cultural, commercial or live entertainment events without the organiser’s authorisation; violators face fines and imprisonment. The Constitutional Council upheld the law in 2018, highlighting aims to prevent public disorder and price inflation (uefa.comuefa.com). | French Constitutional Council decision upholding Article 313‑6‑2 (uefa.comuefa.com). |
| Italy | Budget Law 2017 (Law 232/2016) – Article 1(545) prohibits the sale or any other disposal of access tickets by parties other than authorised ticketing systems. Only occasional resale by private individuals at or below the nominal price is allowed. Violations incur administrative fines (€5 000–€180 000) and site‑blocking orders (agcom.it). | AGCOM (Italian Communications Authority) summary of Law 232/2016 (agcom.it). |
| Belgium | Law of 30 July 2013 on the resale of access tickets to events – prohibits habitual resale and occasional resale above the “definitive” (face) price; prohibits resale before the initial sale and resale of promotional/privileged tickets. Any price difference is recoverable by the buyer, and fines can reach €60 000 (etaamb.openjustice.be). | Belgian official law (2013) (etaamb.openjustice.be); festival site explaining penalties (belgium.tomorrowland.com). |
| Denmark | It is illegal for individuals to resell tickets at a price higher than the original in Denmark. Ticket agencies cannot sell above the organiser’s price plus a modest administration fee; cross‑border resale is also restricted (consumereurope.dk). | European Consumer Centre Denmark guidance (consumereurope.dk) |
| Norway | Secondary Ticketing Act (2007) – prohibits reselling tickets to cultural and sports events at a higher price than the price set by the organiser; the resale price may include the original ticket fee. Buyers can reclaim any excess paid (lovdata.no). | Norwegian law (Lov om forbud mot prispåslag ved videresalg av billetter) (lovdata.no) |
| .Netherlands | The Netherlands currently has no statute prohibiting ticket resale. The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) states that resale prices are set by supply and demand; proposed legislation to cap prices has not been enacted (acm.nl). | ACM statement on secondary ticketing (2016) (acm.nl). |
| Switzerland | There is no national prohibition on ticket resale. The Swiss government’s e‑commerce guide notes that reselling tickets for concerts, sports and cultural events – even at higher prices – is legal, but consumers should use official partners and read terms carefully. | Swiss Federal government guide on ticket‑resale platforms. |
| Sweden | Sweden does not restrict ticket resale; sellers may charge above the original price. Consumer law requires refunds for cancelled events and a 14‑day right of withdrawal when tickets are purchased from a business, but there is no cap on resale prices (thelocal.se). | The Local (Sweden) article summarising Swedish rules and consumer‑agency advice (thelocal.se). |
| Germany | Germany has no general anti‑scalping law. Courts have upheld clauses in promoters’ terms limiting resale. For example, the Hanover Regional Court ruled that selling concert tickets more than 25 % above face value violated competition law and allowed promoters to enforce resale clauses. | Pollstar report on Hanover court ruling. |
| Portugal | Decree‑Law No. 28/84 (crimes against the economy) criminalises speculation: selling goods or services at prices above those legally permitted. Article 35 punishes selling tickets above face value with imprisonment (6 months – 3 years) and fines; adding intermediaries that increase prices is also an offence (fd.unl.pt). Consumer publications remind citizens that ticket reselling above cost is a crime (poupancanominuto.com). | Portuguese Decree‑Law 28/84 Article 35 (fd.unl.pt). |
| Spain | Spain currently lacks a national law regulating online ticket resale. Real Decreto 2816/1982 (General Regulation of Public Entertainment) allows authorised agencies to resell up to 25 % of tickets and charge a maximum 20 % fee; unauthorised street resale is prohibited and tickets may be confiscated (boe.es). A 2025 draft sustainable consumption bill proposes limiting resale prices but is not yet law. | Real Decreto 2816/1982, Art. 26 (boe.es). |
| Poland | Article 133 of the Code of Offences (Kodeks Wykroczeń) makes it an offence to buy tickets for artistic, entertainment or sporting events for the purpose of reselling at a profit or to sell such tickets at a profit; offenders may face arrest, restriction of liberty or fines (sejm.gov.pl). Reselling at cost price is not an offence (sopp.org.pl). | Polish Code of Offences Art. 133 (sejm.gov.pl); consumer‑law commentary (sopp.org.pl). |
| Finland | Finland has no specific law limiting ticket resale prices. EU Directive 2019/2161 (Omnibus Directive) requires Member States to prohibit traders from reselling tickets purchased using bots and allows them to regulate resale prices (eur-lex.europa.eu). Finland implements EU consumer directives but has not introduced a resale cap. | EU Directive 2019/2161 extract on bots (eur-lex.europa.eu). |
| Russia | Article 14.4.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences (introduced 2019) prohibits unauthorised sale of tickets or subscriptions to performances, concerts or museum events. Only organisers or authorised sellers may sell tickets. Individuals may resell a ticket purchased for personal use only at face value. Selling tickets at a price higher than the nominal value is punishable by fines: individuals pay 1.5–2 times the ticket price; officials 2–3 times; entrepreneurs 3–5 times; legal entities 3–5 times (consultant.ru). | Russian Code of Administrative Offences Art. 14.4.3 (consultant.ruaudar-press.ru). |
| Austria | Austria has no general anti‑resale law. The Internet Ombudsstelle (consumer agency) notes that tickets can generally be resold, but some organisers issue personalised tickets that must be transferred through official channels; promoters must inform buyers about personalisation and transfer rules (ombudsstelle.at). | Internet Ombudsstelle guidance on ticket reselling (ombudsstelle.at). |
| Greece | Law 3057/2002 (amending Law 2725/1999) regulates distribution of tickets for sporting events: tickets must be numbered and may be personalised; unauthorised circulation or distribution of tickets in violation of the law or ministerial orders is punishable by up to three years’ imprisonment and fines (lawspot.gr). There is no nationwide law banning resale of concert tickets; restrictions rely on organisers’ terms. | Greece Law 3057/2002 on sports ticket distribution (lawspot.gr). |
| Turkey | Law No. 6222 on the Prevention of Violence and Disorder in Sports (2011) – prohibits persons other than the relevant federation, sports clubs or authorised institutions from selling sports tickets. Selling tickets above face value is punishable by 1–3 years’ imprisonment and fines (haberhurriyeti.com). Producing or selling fake tickets is punished more severely (haberhurriyeti.com). | Turkish law summary on ticket resale penalties (haberhurriyeti.com) |
| Japan | Act on Ensuring the Proper Distribution of Show and Event Tickets by Prohibiting the Unauthorized Resale of Specified Show and Event Tickets (2018) – defines “unauthorized resale” as transferring a specified ticket for profit without the organiser’s consent at a price exceeding the official price (japaneselawtranslation.go.jp). It prohibits both reselling such tickets (japaneselawtranslation.go.jp) and acquiring tickets for the purpose of unauthorized resale (japaneselawtranslation.go.jp). Violators face up to one year in prison or fines up to 1 million yen (japaneselawtranslation.go.jp). | Japanese Law Translation – Act on Prohibition of Unauthorized Resale (japaneselawtranslation.go.jp)(japaneselawtranslation.go.jp) |
| South Korea | Public Performance Act (amended 2023) – bans the use of automated programs (“macros”) to purchase tickets for concerts or shows for the purpose of resale. Violators may be sentenced to up to one year in prison or fined 10 million won. | TicketNews report citing revisions to Korea’s Public Performance Act. |
| China (Mainland) | Ticket resale is regulated primarily through administrative measures. For sports events, the Regulations on Administration of Public Entertainment Venues (2006) require tickets to be sold by authorised agencies; unauthorised resale or forgery is subject to administrative penalties. Major cultural events and concerts often use “real‑name” tickets to deter scalping. However, there is no unified national law; provinces enact their own anti‑scalping measures and police periodically detain scalpers under public‑order offences. | (No single national statute; enforcement through local public‑order regulations and real‑name ticketing policies.) |
| India | There is no unified national law on ticket scalping. Andhra Pradesh Cinemas (Regulation) Act 1955 Section 9‑A prohibits selling cinema tickets above the maximum rates fixed by the licensing authority; offenders may face up to three months’ imprisonment or fines (indiacode.nic.in). Other states have similar provisions for cinema tickets. Live‑concert and sports tickets are regulated by organisers’ terms; resale above face value is generally viewed as “black‑marketing” and may attract charges under anti‑profiteering or public‑order laws. | Andhra Pradesh Cinemas Regulation Act §9‑A (indiacode.nic.in). |
| Mexico (Ciudad de México) | Mexico has no federal law banning ticket resale. The Ley de Cultura Cívica de la Ciudad de México (civic culture law) classifies offering or promoting the sale of tickets to public shows at prices higher than authorised as an administrative offence. The Ley para la Celebración de Espectáculos Públicos de la Ciudad de México prohibits selling tickets in the street, altering the price set by the box office and reselling tickets; fines range from 2 000 – 4 000 times the Unidad de Medida y Actualización (UMA) and may include 25–36 hours’ arrest. | Mexico City’s public‑spectacles law summarised in El Informador. |
| Brazil | Lei Geral do Esporte (Law 14 597/2023) – criminalises selling or holding for sale tickets to sporting events at a price higher than printed on the ticket; offenders face 1–2 years’ imprisonment and fines (planalto.gov.br). Supplying or diverting tickets for resale above face value carries 2–4 years’ imprisonment and fines (planalto.gov.br). The law applies to sports events; resale for concerts is not specifically addressed but consumer authorities consider “cambismo” (scalping) abusive. | Law 14 597/2023, Arts 166–167 (planalto.gov.br). |
| Argentina (Buenos Aires) | The City of Buenos Aires Law 5174/2015 penalises the unauthorised sale or resale of tickets for football matches and other mass events. The law deems resale of tickets and unauthorised sale of courtesy tickets illegal and punishes offenders with fines up to AR$100 000 and up to 60 days of arrest (argentina.gob.ar). The government clarifies that fans may resell a ticket at the original price if they cannot attend, but resale for profit is prohibited (argentina.gob.ar). | Argentina.gob.ar article explaining Law 5174 (argentina.gob.ar). |
| Chile | Chile has no national law banning the resale of tickets for concerts. Consumer law focuses on preventing overselling and ensuring refunds. The government’s consumer agency (SERNAC) notes that tickets sold must correspond to the venue’s capacity and that organisers must refund the full amount if the event is cancelled |
SERNAC guidance on consumer rights at events (sernac.cl). |
| Peru | Law 32415/2023 regulates the procedure for selling and refunding concert tickets. It applies to all ticket sellers and concert organisers (for shows with ≥500 capacity) and requires tickets to state the final price, capacity and verification mechanisms. The law obliges organisers to refund the entire amount paid if the concert is suspended or cancelled but does not prohibit resale. | Peru’s official gazette (El Peruano) – Law 32415, Articles 1–5 (object, scope and ticket issuance requirements) (busquedas.elperuano.pe). |
| Colombia | Colombia has no express prohibition on ticket resale. Law 1493/2011 creates the PULEP system for authorised ticket operators and imposes tax obligations on sellers, but it does not regulate resale prices. Resale is generally legal so long as the tickets are genuine; the Ministry of Culture authorises operators of online platforms (pulep.mincultura.gov.co). | Ministry of Culture (PULEP) information describing authorised ticket operators under Law 1493/2011 (pulep.mincultura.gov.co). |
| Singapore | There is no law prohibiting ticket resale in Singapore. The Ministry of Trade and Industry stated that, in general, resale of goods or services (including event tickets) is not prohibited, though organisers may restrict resale in their terms. Tickets resold without the organiser’s consent may be voided, but scalping itself is not illegal. | MTI written reply on ticket scalping (no legal prohibition). |
| Hong Kong (China) | The Places of Public Entertainment Ordinance (Cap. 172), Section 6A makes it an offence to sell or offer for sale tickets for admission to an entertainment venue (holding a public‑entertainment licence) at a price exceeding the ticket’s face value. Offenders can be fined up to HK$2 000. The law applies only to licensed venues, leaving other events outside its scope. | Hong Kong legislation (Cap. 172) – section on ticket scalping. |
| Malaysia | No specific anti‑scalping law exists. Consumer protection law requires that advertised prices include all charges and prohibits misrepresentation, but reselling tickets above face value is not criminalised. Organisers may cancel resold tickets under contract terms. | Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs guidance (no anti‑scalping law). |
| Australia | • New South Wales – Fair Trading Act amendments prohibit reselling tickets for certain events at more than 10 % above the original price, require disclosure of seat details and ticket number, and ban the use of bots. • Victoria – Major Events Act restricts resale for events declared “major”: resale above 10 % of face value is illegal. • South Australia – similar 10 % cap and bot prohibition. |
NSW Fair Trading amendments; Victoria Major Events Act. |
| New Zealand | New Zealand has no national resale cap, but the Fair Trading Amendment Act 2021 prohibits using bots to obtain tickets in excess of purchase limits and to resell them. Resellers must provide seat details and the ticket’s original price when selling on secondary platforms. | New Zealand Fair Trading Amendment Act 2021. |
| South Africa | South African law does not specifically regulate ticket resale. The Consumer Protection Act prohibits misleading advertising and overbooking and allows consumers to return defective goods, but there is no cap on secondary ticket prices. Event organisers may void resold tickets under contract terms. | South Africa Consumer Protection Act (general). |
| Nigeria | Nigeria has no dedicated ticket‑resale statute. Resale of football tickets above face value is common and not explicitly prohibited, though fraudulent resale can attract charges under criminal or cybercrime laws. | (No specific law.) |
| Israel | Israel lacks specific legislation on ticket scalping. Consumer Protection Law requires price transparency but does not forbid resale. Proposed bills to criminalise scalping have not been passed. | (No law.) |
| Saudi Arabia | There is no general resale law. The General Entertainment Authority issues licences and may cancel tickets purchased through unofficial channels; unauthorised resale may result in confiscation or administrative penalties. Sports events sometimes use “name‑matching” tickets. | General Entertainment Authority guidelines. |
| United Arab Emirates (UAE) | There is no law prohibiting ticket resale. Dubai’s Department of Economic Development occasionally warns against reselling major‑event tickets without the organiser’s consent; reselling at inflated prices may breach consumer‑protection rules but is not codified. | Dubai DED advisories. |
| Qatar | Qatar’s Law (10) of 2021 on Measures to Host World Cup 2022 made it illegal to sell or resell FIFA World Cup tickets without permission; resale above face value could lead to fines and imprisonment. Outside major events, there is no general anti‑scalping law. | Qatar World Cup 2022 law. |
| United Arab Emirates – Abu Dhabi | Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism may impose administrative fines on scalpers; there is no federal law but local authorities can penalise unauthorized sales of event tickets. | Local authority guidelines. |
Observations
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Countries with strict prohibitions: Ireland, France, Italy, Belgium, Norway, Poland, Russia, Turkey, Japan and parts of Australia have enacted clear laws forbidding unauthorized ticket resale or limiting resale prices. Violations can lead to fines and sometimes imprisonment.
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Countries with targeted bans on bots: The United States (BOTS Act), Canada (Ontario/BC), the UK, New Zealand and South Korea explicitly ban the use of automated software to obtain tickets for resale.
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Jurisdictions with no specific law: Many countries (e.g., Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, Finland, Chile, Colombia, Singapore, Hong Kong outside licensed venues) do not criminalise ticket resale; regulation is left to consumer‑protection law and event organisers’ terms of service.
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City/state‑level regulation: Brazil’s new sports law, Mexico City’s public‑spectacles law, Australian state laws and Argentina’s Buenos Aires law demonstrate that resale rules often exist at sub‑national level rather than nationally.