Is ticket scalping illegal in Canada? Laws by province

Is ticket scalping illegal in Canada?

There's no national answer, because ticket resale is regulated by the provinces. Two provinces limit resale prices. Ontario caps resale at the total price the first buyer paid, a rule that took effect on 24 April 2026. Quebecbans reselling above the authorized seller's price unless the producer agreed in writing.

Elsewhere, reselling above face value is legal. British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan don't cap prices, but they ban ticket bots and set rules on refunds, disclosure or timing. Manitoba repealed its anti-scalping rule in 2023, and the Atlantic provinces and the territories have no ticket-specific law.

Federal law

• No federal price cap or bot law. Resale prices and ticket bots are left to the provinces.
• Prices must include mandatory fees. Since 2022 the Competition Act treats drip pricing, showing a price that can't be paid because of mandatory fees added later, as false or misleading. Only government charges such as sales tax can be left out. Companies face penalties of up to $10 million or three times the benefit, whichever is greater, for a first order.
• Ticketing has been a target. The Competition Bureau reached settlements over ticket fees with Ticketmaster (a $4 million penalty in 2019), StubHub (2020) and TicketNetwork (2023), and the Competition Tribunal ordered Cineplex to pay about $39 million over its online booking fee in 2024.

Ontario: resale capped at the original price

Ontario's Ticket Sales Act has regulated ticket resale since 2018. A 50% markup cap was written into the original 2017 law but never took effect and was removed in 2019. In 2026 the province went further: since 24 April 2026, no one may offer or help sell a resale ticket for more than the total price paid when it was bought from the primary seller.

• Fees on top: the reseller or resale platform can add its own fees and tax, but a seller can't add a separate fee if the platform already charges one.
• Proof of price: sellers must give the platform proof of the original price, and resale listings must show the original total, the resale total, itemized fees, the seat and who is selling.
• Refunds: resellers and platforms must guarantee a full refund if the event is cancelled, the ticket doesn't get you in, it's counterfeit or it isn't as described.
• Banned: using bots, knowingly reselling bot-bought tickets, and selling tickets you don't have.
• Penalties: up to $50,000 and up to two years less a day for individuals, and up to $250,000 for corporations. Resale of a ticket for the benefit of a registered charity is exempt from the cap.

Enforcement so far:the province is using administrative penalties. Ontario's Consumer Beware List shows SeatGeek Canada was ordered to comply in May 2026, then given $25,000 in penalties on 28 August and $22,500 more on 8 October, for listings above the cap, not disclosing the original price and selling without proof of it. Resale platforms say the hard part is verifying what the first buyer actually paid.

Quebec: no resale above the advertised price without consent

Quebec's Consumer Protection Act has banned reselling tickets above the price set by the producer's authorized seller since 2011. Resale for more is allowed only if the producer (and the presenter, if there is one) agreed in writing beforehand, the resale follows that agreement, and the buyer is told the maximum authorized price.

Bill 10 tightened the rules from 12 September 2026:

• Resale platforms must say up front that they're resale platforms and that tickets may be cheaper from the authorized seller.
• Before a resale, the buyer must be told the authorized seller and its price, that the ticket is a resale, the seat, and the name of the ticket's last owner.
• The total price must be broken down, including face value and every fee.
• Platforms are treated as resellers and must make sure the seller actually holds the ticket.
• Bots have been banned since 2018, and selling tickets you don't have is banned.

British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan

• British Columbia (Ticket Sales Act, in force July 2021): no price cap, but ticket sellers must show the all-in price with fees itemized, resale listings must show the face value and seller identity, resellers must guarantee refunds, and bots and selling tickets you don't have are banned. Fines reach $10,000 for individuals and $100,000 for corporations.
• Alberta (Consumer Protection Act, since August 2018): no price cap. Bots are banned, primary sellers must cancel tickets bought with bots, and resellers and resale platforms must refund the ticket price and all fees if the event is cancelled, the ticket doesn't get you in, it's counterfeit or not as described.
• Saskatchewan (Ticket Sales Act, since 2011): no price cap. At seven named venues, including SaskTel Centre, Mosaic Stadium and Conexus Arts Centre, tickets can't be resold until 48 hours after they go on sale, and bots and selling tickets you don't have are banned.
• Manitoba banned reselling at a markup until 30 May 2023, when the rule was repealed.
• Alberta may be next. In October 2026 the Ministry of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction said it plans to introduce legislation this fall with further protections for people buying resale tickets. No bill had been introduced when we checked.

Ticket resale laws by province

"No ticket-specific law found" means we found no provincial statute on ticket resale; general consumer protection law still applies. The federal drip-pricing rules apply everywhere.

What it means for you

Frequently asked questions