Resources

We believe more needs to be done to reform the ticketing market by giving properly licensed, responsible secondary operators the right to buy and re-sell tickets without unfair restrictions (as consumers can) and introducing more transparency into the primary market. This would produce a well-regulated, free-market environment similar to that in the United States which is favourably regarded.

The UK has seen significant movements in policy within the secondary ticketing space in the past two years.

Updates

Recent regulatory and policy updates on ticketing issues include:

CMA launches investigation into Ticketmaster over Oasis concert sales

5 September 2024

CMA recommendations on secondary ticketing: government response

10 May 2023

Secondary Ticketing – Recommendations to government for improving consumer protection

August 2021

Summary of the court order – CMA vs Viagogo

17 December 2018

Trading standards law explained the sale and resale of tickets guide

6 September 2018

The House of Lords agreed to the Order by the Secretary of State to ban bots

13 June 2018

The UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) updated existing guidance for secondary ticketing websites

15 February 2018

The UK Parliament’s Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee announced a new inquiry into ‘Live Music’ which seeks to review the growth of the secondary ticketing market

19 January 2018

The Competition and Markets Authority released an update on its work with the live events industry surrounding the application of unfair terms law to ticketing terms and conditions

28 November 2017

The Government responded to the May 2016 Waterson report and accepted his recommendations in full

13 March 2017

The UK Government published an independent report by Warwick University Professor Michael Waterson which supported the secondary ticketing market, albeit with some regulatory changes

26 May 2016

The UK Government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport released a research paper – Online Secondary Facility User Survey – to identify web users

May 2016

The Department for Business Enterprise & Regulatory Reform introduced guidance on the UK Regulations implementing the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive

May 2008