StubHub fined for allegedly violating Ontario ticket resale law, plans to appeal

The Ontario government has imposed a $20,000 fine on ticket resale platform StubHub for allegedly violating the province's new ban on selling tickets for more than face value. According to prosecutors, this is the second contravention for the company, following a $25,000 fine against SeatGeek earlier this year. The new rules, part of the 2026 budget, prohibit the sale of tickets for more than their original face value to "protect consumers and families, and keep tickets affordable for fans and families."

StubHub, in a statement, vehemently disagreed with the fine and plans to appeal the decision. The spokesperson for the company highlighted the difficulties in enforcing the new regulations, particularly the lack of clarity in verifying the original price of a ticket and confirming the game-by-game face value of season tickets. They also noted that the government acknowledged these gaps and stated that the Ticket Sales Act would be fixed through regulation.

StubHub intends to engage in productive dialogue to address these concerns while defending their rights through the appeals process.

The fines against StubHub and SeatGeek mark a shift in Ontario's approach to regulating ticket resale. Initially, the rules came into effect immediately upon Royal Assent on April 24, but the government adopted an educational approach, issuing warnings to secondary sellers such as SeatGeek, StubHub, FIFA, and VividSeat. Despite these warnings, tickets on these platforms continued to be sold above face value.

In early June, the provincial government added StubHub and SeatGeek to its Consumer Beware list for selling tickets above face value.