03 Jun Ticket Resale Laws Tightened Ahead of the FIFA World Cup
Harris + co.
Ontario is gearing up for the FIFA World Cup by taking a hard line on inflated ticket resale prices. With new rules now in force and enforcement resources being reallocated to monitor major events, businesses involved in ticketing, marketing, and event promotion should expect active oversight and significant penalties for non‑compliance.
Beyond just a sports story, ticketing and pricing practices in all event categories are becoming a priority consumer‑protection risk across Canada.
Ontario’s New Rule: No Above-Face-Value Resale
Ontario’s amendments under Bill 97 prohibit reselling tickets above face value, with fines ranging from $3,000 to $250,000 for ongoing violations. The province has also announced enhanced enforcement around major events, including the World Cup, with staff being reassigned to monitor resale activity.
Key compliance challenges include verifying original ticket prices, managing pre‑existing listings, coordinating with primary sellers who may not share pricing data, and updating platform terms and marketing practices.
A Quick Look Across Canada: A Patchwork of Rules
While Ontario’s approach is currently the most restrictive, other provinces also regulate resale in ways that affect national platforms:
- Québec effectively prohibits ticket resales above the producer-authorized price unless the reseller complies with strict authorization and disclosure requirements
- Manitoba generally prohibits ticket resales above face value unless the reseller is authorized by the original ticket seller
- BC and Alberta do not prohibit above‑face‑value resale but regulate bots, require transparency, and rely on general misleading‑practices prohibitions. Businesses operating nationally must ensure marketing claims, seat descriptions, and availability representations comply with these broader rules
FIFA 2026: A High-Risk Environment for Enforcement
FIFA operates a tightly controlled resale platform that prohibits above‑face‑value listings. Combined with Ontario’s new rules, businesses should expect coordinated monitoring between FIFA, Ontario regulators, and primary sellers; scrutiny of both new and legacy listings; increased consumer complaints; and pressure on platforms to verify original pricing.
The Price-Gouging Lens: CPA Enforcement Beyond Tickets
Ontario’s Consumer Protection Act also prohibits unconscionable pricing and unfair practices, which regulators may apply where inflated resale prices are paired with misleading claims about scarcity or urgency.
It’s also notable that the Competition Bureau has publicly flagged deceptive ticketing practices in a May 2026 consumer alert tied to FIFA 2026. While the Bureau’s focus is on misleading marketing rather than price caps, its decision to spotlight ticketing risks suggests growing federal scrutiny of the sector, adding another enforcement lens that businesses should keep in mind.
What Businesses Should Do Now
To prepare for heightened scrutiny ahead of FIFA 2026, businesses should consider:
- Auditing resale practices across all provinces
- Implementing verification processes for original ticket prices
- Reviewing marketing claims for compliance with misleading‑practices rules
- Updating platform terms to reflect provincial obligations
- Documenting compliance efforts in anticipation of enforcement inquiries
Final Thought
With the World Cup approaching and regulators signaling a zero‑tolerance stance, ticketing and pricing practices should be treated as a priority compliance issue. The rules vary across provinces, the penalties are real, and enforcement will only intensify as kickoff draws closer.
Please get in touch if you’d like to explore how these rules apply to your business and for help with getting or remaining compliant.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
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