The UK government has announced plans to make it illegal for tickets to be resold for more than their original cost.
The new rules — designed to crack down on what is commonly known as ticket touting — will apply to platforms reselling tickets of live events, including sports, to fans in the United Kingdom and will include fines for businesses who break them of up to 10 per cent of global turnover.
Evidence from Trading Standards outlined in a release from the government announcing the plans on Wednesday, has found tickets are being resold for up to six times their original cost.
The government say the measures could reduce the average resale ticket price paid by £37 ($48) and save fans collectively £112million ($146.5m) per year.
“For too long, ticket touts have ripped off fans, using bots to snap up batches of tickets and resell them at sky-high prices,” culture secretary Lisa Nandy said in a statement.
“They’ve become a shadow industry on resale sites, acting without consequence.
“This government is putting fans first. Our new proposals will shut down the touts’ racket and make world-class music, comedy, theatre and sport affordable for everyone.”
Service fees charged by resale platforms will also be capped and individuals will be banned from reselling more tickets than they were entitled to buy in the initial ticket sale.
Platforms will also have a legal duty to monitor and enforce compliance, the government say.
Nov 19, 2025
Connections: Sports Edition
Spot the pattern. Connect the terms
Find the hidden link between sports terms
Play today’s puzzle