FIFA’s ticket resale platform for the World Cup no longer displays available seats for Toronto matches following the implementation of a new price restriction last week. The legislation in Ontario prohibits the resale of event tickets in the province at prices exceeding their face value.
FIFA has stated that it is adjusting its resale platform to adhere to the recently enacted law. While listings for Toronto’s World Cup games have not been removed, they are temporarily unavailable and are expected to be relisted once the necessary system modifications are completed. Notably, FIFA’s marketplace still features listings for World Cup matches in all other host cities except Toronto.
Meanwhile, StubHub, another resale platform, is still offering World Cup tickets for Toronto matches above face value. As of Tuesday afternoon, the company had numerous tickets available for Canada’s initial game against Bosnia-Herzegovina, with prices reaching thousands of dollars. Some tickets in the lower bowl were priced as high as $72,705 each.
Last week, StubHub mentioned that it had not yet complied with the new Ontario legislation due to a lack of clear guidance. A spokesperson for StubHub, Jack Sterne, revealed that despite a recent discussion with Stephen Crawford, the minister of public and business service delivery, unresolved issues persist. Sterne affirmed that the company is revising its systems to adhere to Bill 97, the price cap law.
Giulia Paikin, a representative for Crawford, confirmed that the province is collaborating with StubHub to ensure compliance. Businesses failing to comply may face penalties starting at $3,000, potentially escalating to $250,000 for persistent non-compliance. The legislation was introduced by the Ford government earlier this year in response to public outrage over exorbitant resale prices for events like the World Series and Taylor Swift’s Eras tour.
The government aims to shield fans and consumers from exploitative resellers who inflate ticket prices artificially. However, concerns have been raised that the cap could drive event attendees towards informal markets, leading to potential scams and inflated original ticket prices.
