A public dispute has erupted between Ontario's government and two major ticket resale platforms over the rollout of the province's strict new anti-scalping regulations, with both sides pointing fingers over who's responsible for alleged violations.
On Tuesday, June 10, the Ford government added StubHub and SeatGeek to Ontario's consumer beware list for allegedly allowing the sale of tickets above face value — a practice that became illegal more than a month ago as part of the province's 2026 budget. The move came with hefty potential fines but no details about which specific regulations were broken, whether charges had been laid, or what penalties the companies might face.
Both platforms quickly fired back, claiming they've been operating in a regulatory vacuum despite their best efforts to comply with the new law.
Companies Say They've Been Left in the Dark
StubHub issued a statement defending its compliance efforts and criticizing the government's lack of clear guidance. "StubHub has been complying to the best of our ability and remains committed to working with the government to address any outstanding issues," the company wrote.
The platform said it has spent the past seven weeks seeking answers to fundamental questions about how to implement the new rules. "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," StubHub explained. "We received partial answers to these questions today and are continuing to work with the Ministry toward full compliance."
SeatGeek echoed similar frustrations, stating: "We continue to engage in good-faith efforts with the Ontario government to obtain guidance on how to comply with this new law. 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 Face Value Problem
At the heart of the dispute is a seemingly simple question: what exactly is a ticket's face value? Both companies say they've struggled to determine the original price for certain tickets, particularly season tickets, and that primary ticket sellers haven't provided them with the necessary information to verify compliance.
This technical challenge highlights the complexity of enforcing a blanket ban on above-face-value resales in an industry where pricing structures vary widely and original purchase prices aren't always clearly documented or easily accessible to secondary market platforms.
What's Next?
The Ontario government has not yet responded to the companies' accusations about the rollout of the new regulations. The public naming of StubHub and SeatGeek marks the first major enforcement action under the new law, which was designed to protect consumers from inflated ticket prices for concerts, sporting events, and other live entertainment.
For Ontario residents looking to buy or sell tickets, the situation remains fluid. While the law prohibiting above-face-value resales is in effect, the ongoing dispute between the government and major resale platforms suggests that implementation challenges may continue to create uncertainty in the marketplace.
The coming weeks will likely determine whether this is a temporary growing pain in the new regulatory system or a sign of deeper problems with how the law was designed and rolled out.
