Ticket reseller penalties now tiered by severity and repeat offences, with higher maximums

Plain-language summary · AI-assisted · not legal advice

Ontario's administrative penalty rules for ticket businesses under the Ticket Sales Act have been significantly restructured. Violations are now classified as minor, moderate, or major, each carrying different base penalty amounts — ranging from $300/$3,000 (minor) up to $1,000/$10,000 (major) for non-corporations and corporations respectively. Repeat violations of the same provision escalate automatically: a second offence triggers 1.5× the base amount, and a third or subsequent offence triggers 2.5× the base amount. However, if 24 months pass without any order for a given violation, the slate resets and prior orders are not counted. The list of covered provisions has also been expanded, adding new ticketing rules around resale, fees, and disclosure requirements. Ticket businesses should review which of their obligations fall into major or moderate categories and take particular care to avoid repeat violations within that 24-month window.

Who this affects: ticket businesses (corporations and non-corporations) · ticket resellers · online ticket platforms · compliance officers in the ticketing industry