Ontario hikes ticket scalping fines to $25K before World Cup

The Ontario government is more than doubling the maximum fine for ticket scalping ahead of the FIFA World Cup. Starting next Wednesday, Ontario is raising the maximum penalty for repeat offenders from $10,000 to $25,000, just days before the FIFA World Cup is set to begin in Toronto. The government says these new and enhanced enforcement tools will protect consumers from exploitative resellers and help more Ontarians attend live events. “If one game is more important than the other and they put up the prices, that’s the market. But if they have a ticket face value and they’re selling it for a lot more, then they’re going to hear from us. They aren’t exempt,” Premier Doug Ford says. “These measures will help ensure tickets are available to the people who want to be in the stands cheering on their favourite teams and athletes, rather than being snapped up by unfair price gouging,” Minister of Sport Neil Lumsden says. The province says it’ll also allow officials to publicly identify any businesses handed a fine. Meanwhile, cybersecurity tech analyst Ritesh Kotak says the legislation is a step in the right direction.