Two ticket-reselling platforms named by Ontario for allegedly breaking its strict rules are pushing back, accusing the Ford government of botching the implementation of the new system.
Stubhub and Seatgeek, two resale sites, were added to Ontario’s consumer beware list for allegedly allowing the sale of tickets above face value on June 10, more than a month after the province outlawed the practice.
As part of its 2026 budget, the government made it illegal to resell tickets for more than their original price and recently finalized hefty new fines for those caught failing to comply.
On June 10, it named both Stubhub and Seatgeek for violating the rules, but didn’t offer any details of which parts of the new regulations they had broken, if charges had been laid or how much the two companies could expect to pay in potential fines.
Both companies issued statements saying they had tried to follow the new rules, accusing the government of not helping them get in line.
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“StubHub has been complying to the best of our ability and remains committed to working with the government to address any outstanding issues,” Stubhub wrote in a statement.
“Over the past seven weeks, we have been seeking guidance on key details that are fundamental to compliance, such as what constitutes acceptable proof of a ticket’s original price. We received partial answers to these questions today and are continuing to work with the Ministry toward full compliance.”
Seatgeek issued a similar statement, claiming the government hadn’t issued clear direction.
“We continue to engage in good-faith efforts with the Ontario government to obtain guidance on how to comply with this new law,” they wrote.
“We have not yet received meaningful direction. Despite that, we have taken proactive steps to notify third-party sellers listing tickets on our platform that Ontario’s law is in effect and that they are expected to comply.”
The two sellers said they haven’t always been able to work out what the face value for tickets like season tickets is, and primary sellers haven’t told them.
The government hasn’t commented on the two companies being named.
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