The Ireland Cabinet has agreed to ban the resale of tickets for large concerts and sporting events for more than face value, as well as ticketing bots.
Back in 2017, the Prohibition of Above-Cost Ticket Touting Bill was introduced, and last month, after debating, it did not seem like the Ireland Government would agree to ban resale tickets. Minister for Enterprise Mary Mitchell O’Connor argued that the secondary market is imperative to keep the ticketing business fair.
“Irish consumers will not be better off either if legislation here causes ticket resale to be diverted to [other European Union] countries that permit it,” she said.
However, according to the Irish Times, the Government is supporting and amending this legislation brought forward by Mr Rock and Fianna Fáil’s Stephen Donnelly. The agreement came at the ministers’ last meeting before summer break. The legislation, which was designed to tackle the secondary sale of tickets on resale websites, will apply to all events that take place at “designated” venues which hold more than 1,000 people. Additionally, the legislation will ban the use of ticketing “bots,” to buy a large number of tickets for an event.
“The legislation will also give effect to the commitment given to UEFA to ban the unauthorised transfer and use of tickets for matches and official events taking place in Ireland during the Euro 2020 Championship,” a department statement said.
Most venues would have to apply for designation under the legislation, however, the Minister of Business of the day will have the ability to apply this to an event at a venue that “would be in the interest of consumers.”
“This Bill will have the support of the main sporting bodies, of many artists and promoters in the entertainment industry, and of music and sports fans right across the country,” Humphreys said in a statement.
Likewise, Rock said that this legislation will ensure “an effective ban on ticket touting and also a ban on bots from snapping up tickets.”
“I have no doubt that for sports and music fans, this legislation will be a game changer,” Rock said. “It’s now my ambition that, should this Bill be passed by the Dáil and become law in Ireland, we see other nations across Europe replicating it.”
The legislation must now pass through the Dáil.
