The Government today approved the drafting of the Sale of Tickets (Cultural, Entertainment, Recreational and Sporting Events) Bill 2020, brought forward by the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar TD.

The Bill will ban the resale of tickets to live events, matches and concerts in designated venues, at a price above face value. There is an exemption for amateur sports clubs and registered charities for fundraising purposes. A person found guilty of an offence under the act will face a fine of up to €100,000 or up to two years imprisonment.

The legislation is listed as priority legislation for this Dáil term, meaning it is expected to be published before the end of the year.

The Tánaiste said:

Touts and reselling websites ruin gigs and matches for everyone making it harder to get a ticket in the first place and driving up prices. This is about making sure people aren’t getting ripped off once live events, matches and concerts get up and running again, especially considering numbers are likely to be restricted to begin with.

There is a specific provision in the Bill for the Euro 2020 championships next year, banning the unauthorised sale of tickets for matches. We want to make sure everyone gets a fair shot at getting tickets at face value.

This legislation is also hopeful. We’re planning for the time when we can go to gigs, festivals and matches again.

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